Hunter of the Force
by Dakudoragon'naito87
Summary: Upon the world of Remnant, Ben Skywalker, the Hero of the Second Galactic Civil War feels a disturbance in the Force. And upon arrival Ben is thrust into the middle of a war for survival that has spanned centuries. And as his legend begins to grow and secrets thought long buried are brought into the light, Ben realizes that he and his new friends will be tested like never before.
1. Rise of a Hunter

**Bo****y I'm on a role today! Odd how it takes a little bit of thinking and time to just sit down and release these things instead of having most of them sitting in a flash drive for months on end. Well this idea came to me on the sad day that Mister Monty Oum, the man who created this wonderful world of Hunters and Huntresses passed from this world. I am a big fan of the universe and world he created through RWBY, and decided to throw my own hat into the ring in my own way to honor him and his work.**

**So... I hope you all like it and enjoy!**

* * *

Darkness descends upon the stars, the night skies clouded and free of the ever present starlight as shadow and silence descend upon the world below. The earth awash in a sea of bright greens and silver, as the errant moonlight that pierces the veil of the clouds illuminates the world below. A sense of calm and serenity shrouds the forest hidden beneath the moon, the winds a gentle sound along the leaves upon the trees and the brush undergrowth.

Yet from the shadows of the towering figures of nature's might, a figure emerges from the darkness. Its flesh was as black as the depths of the underworld itself, coated in thick and matted fur of the same colouration that swayed with every heavy step that flattened grass and rumbled the earth. It stood tall on two muscular legs, the shoulders of the figure broad and powerful even whilst hidden by the shadows, the clawed feet, akin to oversized wolf paws digging into the earth like fine edged blades. It stalks deeper into the forest it called home, eyes a menacing red the shade of spilt blood that glowed with an inner rage as drool and scarlet rivulets descend from its jagged fangs.

Each fang was heavily coated in the blood of its prey, the once pristine white weapons of the beast now no longer hidden by the long muzzle that encompassed the large, wolf shaped skull to stain the ground beneath the mighty beast. Spikes, wickedly curved and a foot-and-a-half long ran along its forearms, the fur surrounding them and its two inch long claws soaked in the lifeblood of another kill. Its ears, tall and upright darted all around as it listens to the sounds of forest. Its nose begins to twitch as a deep growl echoes from its chest, the muscles hidden under the thick hide, coiled and tensed like liquid steel as it lowered to all fours upon the ground. It ears lowered to rest backwards along its skull, its stance cautious and wary as it moved closer towards its den.

While up in the canopy of the leaves, a shadow blurred from sight... Vanishing like shadow itself into the thick growth in the same direction as the dreaded beast beneath it. For a time, hunter and prey moved as one, the hunted none the wiser that it's days of killing and bloodlust had at last come to an end.

The two predators soon arrived into a small clearing, the coarse grasses and brush littered with the bones and weapons of those the beast had slain; shattered and broken as they fell to the creature of the Grimm. The smaller of the two predators remained hidden by the trees, pulling back a tattered and faded grey hood as leather gloved hands flashed in the moonlight. The action itself revealed to the world dark, vibrant red-gold hair, cropped short at the shoulders to rest over piercing and deep sky blue eyes.

And as the leaves that hid him from view swayed in a gentle breeze, a long scar is cast into the moonlight, running down from just above and through the right eyebrow and ending an inch beneath the high and planed cheek of the now revealed young man. Those same eyes were now shadowed by the leaves as they bore into the back of his prey; sharp as tempered steel as his mouth thinned into a sharp line and a predatory glint entered the man's eyes.

His body was crouched low atop a rather thick branch, dark leather boots of fine quality catching the light of the moon as he stalked silently atop the thick limb of the tree, moving to circle the creature beneath him as silent as a ghost. The creature had allowed its body to relax at seeing its territory free of any potential enemies, and once more stood on two legs as it neared the hollow at the far end of the clearing with a confident gait.

A look of focused calm grew upon the young man's face as he revealed himself from beyond the cover of darkness, moving closer towards the creatures den as the tree creaked and swayed softly. Grey and black robes moved like shadow given life as a mixture of leather and metal caught the few and far between beams of moonlight, as the man leapt from branch to branch with not a sound made, drawing ever closer to the Beowolf down below. And as the wolf lay to rest for the night, the man paused, turning to face his foe at last as he grew a wide wolfish grin.

The black and grey garbed man remained silent as he examined the beast, his blue eyes fixed upon the tired beast as his hand slowly reached towards a cylindrical object of silver and black attached to the left side of his belt wrapped around his hip. A faint click echoed in the young man's ears as he brought the object to bear, the fine finish scarred by carbon burns and the passage of time as he gently thumbed the side of a small rectangular box set above the ridged grip of the object.

And then with a peculiar snap-hiss, a blade of deepest sapphire emerged from the top; illuminating the area and the wielder to his prey as the soft hum shattered the silent din of howling wind and swaying leaves. The young man leapt high into the air; the jump impossible to achieve for an average mortal and descended upon his prey with his blade held on high. The Beowolf rose to its feet with a terrifying and bestial grace, releasing a dark and malevolent howl as the man drew ever closer as it prepared itself to face this new challenger. Yet in a single moment of defiance, the monster lashed out with claws bared and ready to rip flesh from bone, its weapons glinting in the moonlight as it sought to finish the fight.

The young man seemed unconcerned however, narrowing his eyes as he dodged the beast's quick lunging attack with a swift flip to land on his feet. Despite the situation however, the young man's face held no malice nor satisfaction as he stared the beast down. It held only a sense of utter concentration and focus. Yet his eyes… His eyes were now frosted to a bleak icy shade of harsh blue, vibrant and eerily calm in a way that spoke of a man who had fought to survive. It was the face of a man used to spilling blood… To taking life.

Time itself seemed to unwound like a ribbon before him. As if he could feel the very fabric of reality itself slow and unravel before his eyes and at his very whim. Instinct and training swiftly took hold; as with a quick twirl and spin of the blade… He'd severed the Beowolf's arm off at the elbow with the sapphire blade passing through flesh and bone like it were nothing but air. The creature bellowed in agony and fury as it clawed at the stump of what remained of its arm. Soon the smell of burning fur and flesh… So heavy and pungent to both predators quickly filled the air. Yet the Beowolf, still in the thralls of rage and pain looked down to exact its vengeance against the human who dared to harm it… Until it watched in stunned hesitance as the blue blade swung in an elegant arc that captured its eyes. The beast seemed to be almost captivated by the bright, cool colour of the weapon as it remained still, the pain of its severed arm now but a distant memory… Until in a single movement of blazing blue the young man severed the Beowolf's head from its shoulders.

The last thing the beast would ever see was a pair of bright sky colored eyes and a flash of red hair.

* * *

The next day found the young man asleep comfortably in his bed, a single arm splayed across his stomach with the other behind his head as the pale white sheets pooled around his waist. Spare clothes and various trinkets and gear littered the floor of the spacious bedroom, with a pair of leather boots tossed haphazardly in the corner near the head of the bed; while the young man's clothes ran in a trail from his door up to his bedside. The shrill beep of an alarm clock that suddenly flared to life shattered the peaceful calm of the young man's sleep, waking the sole occupant instantly as he opened his eyes with a sharp groan.

His right arm moved over in a seemingly well practiced motion and with a swift motion simply crushed the feeble piece of plastic and steel; the cybernetic arm having buzzed and whirred from the movement. Flashes of light danced around the room and the ceiling as the exposed pieces of alloy and machinery glinted in the sunlight streaming towards his face; the beams of light splashed across his muscular form. Soon however, the teen moved the metallic limb to rest against his stomach once more, eyes fixed up at his ceiling as he pushed the final vestiges of sleep from his body; his dark fiery red-gold hair aglow from the sunlight streaming into the small room from the single window.

"Kriffing piece of scrap metal," he cursed under his breath as he closed his eyes, begging the Force that sleep would fall upon him once again. Alas it was not to be, as a piece of music blared to life beside his head; a guitar riff if he remembered the term right. The heavy crash of the music fully woke him to the world, a small smirk on his lips as he nodded along to the music. Sometimes the young man really appreciated all that Artoo could accomplish with such primitive tech, especially thankful that the resourceful little astromech could do most anything with the systems aboard the _Fire._

Groggily and with an irritated huff the man lifted his left hand and felt a surge of power as the object, a long cylindrical shaped device clad in black and red flew from its resting place atop the dresser and into the open hand; making nary a sound as he brought it up to his face.

Swiftly opening it by splitting it into two equal halves that revealed a retractable screen built between the two grips; the man was greeted to the sight of a young woman with long, golden blonde hair grinning at the in-built camera. A single lilac eye hidden by a wink as she had her hand up and in an odd sign with her index and middle finger spread out in a V formation.

_'This planet has a lot of weird customs,'_ he thought with a light grin as he pressed a single mechanical finger to the screen and spoke. Grimacing lightly at the husky and rough tone his voice bore as a result of lack of use due to his sleep.

"Skywalker."

"_Geez, is that anyway to greet someone? Even after being your friend for over six months it still surprises me how much of a stiff you can be." _A very feminine voice answered him cheekily. The tone just as light and teasing as always which caused the young Skywalker to roll his eyes in amusement, swiftly swinging his lower body to the side and planting his feet against the exposed; and he noted offhandedly rather cold hardwood floor. Following the movement his upper body followed suit, rippling muscle and tanned skin coiling and flexing as he planted his arms on his knees, looking down at the screen and yawning once before he answered the woman who had called him.

"Sorry to disappoint there Miss Sunshine, but some of us actually enjoy the few hours of sleep we manage to get rather than going out and starting bar fights all night." He said dryly, smirking as he heard a huff from the device.

"_Not my fault you're sleeping until four in the damn afternoon Ben, especially today of all day's mister mystic." S_he defended with a slight amount of heat in her tone. The now named Ben felt his eyes go wide of their own accord as he checked his right arm and summoned a little gadget he'd installed within it a while ago. A small holo projection appeared, and Ben groaned loudly and placed his head in his hand as he saw the chrono read as Yang said. Four o'clock in the afternoon. On the day he was supposed to meet Yang at the transport hub and catch the flight to Beacon Academy. Seven hours ago. Well… That explained the call at least.

Oh he was never going to live this down once he returned to Coruscant if word got out. Eidetic memory served him well, but in situations like this it only bothered the hell out of the young Skywalker. Sometimes he really cursed being able to recall every moment of his life as if it were happening before his very eyes.

_'Some things are better left to stay in the past,'_ he mused morbidly to himself with a dark chuckle as faces flashed before his eyes. People he'd known, people he'd killed. Each a memory to never leave him for the rest of his days. Yet a surge of the Force stilled his mind as he focused on the present issue. The dead could wait a little longer… His exuberant and fiery tempered friend would not.

"I missed the flight didn't I?" Ben asked after a few moments of stewing in silence and scolding himself. Some Jedi Knight he turned out to be, missing an important meeting with his sole friend on this fragging system because he was asleep! The young Jedi could almost feel the intense burn of his mother's disapproving stare as he stood up and moved about, gathering his things and heading for the shower. He had a lot of explaining to do after all.

"_Yes…you did. After you called and told me that you had a freaking alarm set so this wouldn't happen!" _Yang yelled, Ben wincing as he thumbed his comlink and prayed that Artoo wasn't in recharge._ "Or did you forget that little tidbit mister Skyguy?" _Yang asked mockingly as Ben entered his small bathroom, tossing his clothes in a bundle atop the countertop and quickly diverting himself of his sleeping shorts. Turning back to his Scroll as Yang called it, Ben hovered his finger against the end button as he spoke hastily into the device.

"Sorry Yang gotta go, I'll see you in a few hours alright? Skywalker out." And with a deft click Ben was alone with his thoughts once more. Running his cybernetic hand through his hair, Ben sighed as he opened the curtain and turned on his shower, the cool water sending a jolt though his body as he stepped in. He hated disappointing his friend, but as his Uncle Han had always told him as a child, it was sometimes better to ask forgiveness than permission. And Ben was pretty sure that Yang at the moment fell into the first of the two categories. He only hoped she didn't want to spar as a form of apology. He still had bruises from the last time he got hit by Ember Celica and he didn't want to add any more anytime soon.

* * *

After a quick shower and a light breakfast of something called waffles and having scoured the city for close to three hours to set his affairs in order for his apartment to be looked after in his time at school, Ben quickly headed for the hanger bay, his gear stuffed into a duffel bag strapped over his shoulder and across his chest to rest at his lower back. Dressed in a pair of black and grey jeans to go along with a grey undershirt and black Corellian flight jacket his Uncle had given him for his life day that stretched tight across his muscular frame as he neared his ship.

A light smile spread across Ben's lips as he gazed upon his pride and joy, the heavily modified star yacht his mother had commissioned in the Coruscanti Shipyards for his fifteenth birthday. Unfortunately, due to the war it had been delayed and had not arrived until a week after Jac- Darth Caedus' death while he was sparring with his father at the Praxium.

She was a one of a kind, armed to the teeth with an arsenal of weaponry that had shocked the core out of Ben when he had taken her out for her first flight in the hyper lanes leading out of Ossus. Quad cannons, anti-starfighter laser weapons grid, missile and torpedo launcher bays and a pair of miniaturized ion cannons at the bow, with a hyperdrive that reached point two past lightspeed; the _Rogue's Fire_ was the fastest, and most well equipped ship, bar a Star Destroyer, in the entire galactic records. With some modifications and amped up capabilities thanks to the young Jedi himself as well, with the aid of the families trusty astromech, R2-D2.

It housed another personal fighter for Ben in the landing bay, a simple modified X-Wing he had managed to acquire from the Alliance fleet alongside a specialized swoop bike, designed for SpecOps work in the Unknown and Outer Rim regions of space. Ben was just lucky some times. And also had a father and mother who were galactic heroes and family members who had at one point _run_ the galaxy but he wasn't pointing fingers.

Ben swiftly tapped the primary command for the landing ramp on his comlink, watching as it swiftly descended with a gentle hum as Ben prepared to make the short flight to Beacon Academy. And it was thinking on that single fact, that Ben had never been more thankful to meet Yang and her Uncle Qrow that fateful day almost six months ago. He had taken his X-Wing down into atmosphere while he left the _Rogue Fire _in geosynchronous orbit under Artoo's command while he scouted out a dark presence on the planet's surface. It had been this darkness that had ensured his first encounter with the Grimm, and the first time he would set his eyes upon a beautiful young woman who had become his closest friend on this planet in short order afterwards. Sometimes he liked to think that his father had been right, maybe luck did exist after all.

Ben shook his head ruefully as he walked up the boarding ramp, his leather boots echoing with each step atop the durasteel interior of the ship, making his way for the cockpit. Ben passed by his quarters and deftly reached up and rid himself of the duffle bag by tossing it into the opened entryway with nary a glance. Ben then quickened his strides towards the cockpit, patting a silver and blue coloured dome resting next to the entrance that soon swiveled to life in a series of chirps and bleeps.

"Come on Artoo, time to wake up and get her in the air," Ben said with a grin as he sat before the main controls, thankful that his mother had designed it to fit a single pilot while allowing the remaining stations to be filled and occupied in the area behind him. Artoo released a sharp beep and a rapid fire series of cheeps and chirps as Ben read the translator function placed into his arm.

Once he finished reading, Ben sighed almost sadly as he looked at the little droid, eyes closed as he felt the ship begin its start-up sequence. "No Artoo," Ben stated opening his eyes and looking out the large viewscreen into the vast skies of Remnant. "We aren't going home, not yet."

Ben then glanced at his Scroll, a light smile growing upon his lips as he thought of his blonde haired friend and the memories they created together during his stay. His momentary lapse and dark thoughts having vanished in an intense burst of joy as he pictured the blonde haired woman before him with a bright grin on her lips. "We got things to take care of here first."

Having now strapped himself in, Ben took hold of the command console while refocusing his mind and temporarily discarding the thoughts of Yang from his mind; eyes narrowed in concentration as excitement bubbled in his gut in anticipation of flying again. While outside the ship, many had come to see the spectacle of this strange and rather grandiose ship take flight after remaining at port for the entirety of its owner's occupation in the city. Dock hands that had serviced her and provided the young man who owned her directions through the rather sparsely populated city smirked at finally seeing her fly. A great roar echoed through the large hanger bay as the matte grey and silver coloured ship lifted into the air, the twin engines bursting with a brilliant blue light as it slowly spun to face the opened bay doors, a great surge of wind forcing the audience to cover their eyes and put all their strength into preventing themselves from flying back.

Ben felt a wolfish grin burst to life as his eyes showed a deep excitement as adrenaline coursed through his veins. He had loved takeoff when flying, and it was something he thought he wouldn't ever get bored of.

"Let's fly!" he exclaimed, throwing the controls forward for all she was worth as the _Rogue_ burst into the skies, far faster than anything this world could ever dare to try and match. The land below vanished in a bright green and grey blur to Ben's eyes, the vast reaches of open sky soon meeting his eyes as he input the coordinates for Beacon into the navicomputer, and soon settling the ship into geosynchronous orbit while under autopilot as he prepared to make his descent. He assumed that Beacon had only a small hangar or perhaps even a landing platform, so he figured that to have the Rogue in easy reach should he need would make far more sense, while also being able to use his X-Wing to get where he needed to should the _Rogue_ prove unnecessary.

Deftly unstrapping the harness to the command seat Ben stood tall and made his way to his quarters, using the Force to grab the utility belt he had hung from the chair months ago.

"Artoo, prep the X-Wing for launch and keep the ship in orbit until I make contact with the Academy," Ben ordered as he buckled the belt on his hips, drawing the custom blaster Uncle Han had given him for his birthday along with the vibroblade his mother had given him. Glancing at the little droid, Ben smirked as he moved over and knelt down to stare the single optic Artoo possessed face to face. "Then, I want you to go into orbit and get in contact with either Dad or the Order to send another report. Then I want you to return to geosynchronous above the Academy and return to the city only to resupply and refuel the auxiliary power generators with Dust. See if those upgrades we installed are worth the Lien we managed to scrape together for them. You got that Artoo?"

A shrill and slightly downcast beep was his answer as Artoo leaned forward slightly in a sign of sadness. Ben, seeing this allowed a small smile to grow on his lips while at the same time placing his cybernetic hand gently atop the small droid's domed head. Silence spread between the boy and his droid and in a moment of thought, Ben was glad that out of all the potential companions he might have… The one he did have was Artoo.

His family had trusted, and been trusted in turn by the astromech droid for decades, and Ben wasn't going to be the one to lose that hard earned trust so easily. Once the moment had passed, Ben stood up once more and crossing his arms across his chest and smirking at the faithful droid.

"So… Think you can handle it Artoo?" he asked teasingly, a bright grin replacing the smirk as Artoo leaned back sharply and seemed to be offended by the young Jedi's question and released a furious plethora of beeps, chirps, cheeps, and whistles as his response. Turning back to the console Artoo swiftly interfaced with the main computer and accessed the hangar bay.

A beep from the young Jedi's comlink caused Ben to look down, and then nod appreciatively at seeing the command indicating his X-Wing was ready to fly. Turning back to the hatch, Ben strode through and waved a single hand over his shoulder at the still working astromech droid. "You're in charge little buddy, make me proud," Ben called over his shoulder as the door closed behind him with a swift thud.

Ben swiftly retrieved his bag while also deftly grabbing the battered and burned helmet that sat atop the small desk within his quarters as he made his way to the hangar bay. The young Jedi held the helmet tucked under his left arm as he passed through the halls throughout the interior of the _Fire_. Yet as he came upon the main entryway to the hangar floor he stilled his mind and centered his thoughts, letting the Force flow through his body to dispel the slight tension and unease he felt building within him. He had sensed a feeling of dread and darkness… Foul and repulsive to his very being surrounding the borders of both the port city near Beacon and the school itself. Ben knew that his days of going out to hunt errant Grimm at night were no longer an option.

He only hoped that Yang wouldn't do something stupid without him there to back her up.

"Stang, who the hell am I kidding?" he asked himself rhetorically, moving swiftly towards the lone ship housed in the rather private and small hanger bay. "I might as well have been asking for Dad to not drink hot cocoa," he groused as he dashed up the ladder to the cockpit of his starfighter, tossing his bag into the small compartment built in behind his seat. Double checking to ensure his gear was safely in place, Ben swiftly donned his battered and scorched helmet as he hauled himself into the slightly cramped interior of the X-Wing. He swiftly began running through his start-up sequence before he activated the comms, searching for the frequency the dock hands had supplied him with to contact Air Command for Beacon Academy.

As Ben continued through his start-up, a gruff voiced echoed over the comm; a sense of irritation and wariness prickling at Ben's senses as he placed his hands on the yoke and eased the fighter towards the slowly opening bay doors.

_"Unidentified craft this is Beacon Air flight Command. This is a priority one hail, if you are receiving, acknowledge immediately!"_

Ben eased back into his seat as he flicked a switch and allowed the former Alliance agent to take command. This was just the beginning.

* * *

A little more than twenty minutes later found Ben nearing the open platforms that housed Beacon's air fleet, the numerous airships a matching dull grey in a sea of metal and stone as Ben brought the X-Wing down. He had nearly been forced to abandon his approach due to the hostility from Beacon Air Control, save for the timely intervention of his new Headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Who had spoken to the commander of the airships and in less than three sentences had granted Ben access to a platform to land. Ben saw the sole unoccupied platform out the corner of his eye, easing off on the thrusters as the X-Wing circled to rest directly above the circular platform; the sublight engines winding down as he gently lowered the starfighter to land smoothly upon the platform. His hands danced across the console, feeling the great and faithful machine still beneath him as he placed his hands against the canopy and pushed, popping it open as he began hauling himself to his feet and out of the cockpit once he had enough room.

Ben took the helmet off instantly, running a hand through locks of sweat matted red hair while releasing a relieved sigh as he tossed it into the cockpit and reached down to retrieve his duffle bag. He may have only been in the ship for around twenty minutes, but it was fragging sweltering in the damn thing on the best of days. Ben then checked his flight suit, the bright orange and white a bright beacon to the man who stood off to the side, regarding the young man with a critical eye, dressed from head to toe in an immaculate black suit, with the jacket left slightly unopened revealing the black buttoned vest and green undershirt he wore underneath.

Tousled gray hair and thin brown eyes behind a thin set of shaded spectacles were the first things one would notice, alongside the bright green scarf possessing a thin cross shaped purple emblem emblazoned in the front. A mug, steaming if only faintly rested within the man's left hand, a thin cane held in the other as he began to approach the strange vessel, watching as the young man leapt clear of the cockpit and fell close to twelve feet and landing with nary a grunt nor sign of discomfort.

The young man Ozpin noted with a slightly tilted eye was fairly tall in comparison to many of the students in attendance, standing close to six feet even in height (1). His choice in attire however left much to be desired, yet once Ozpin caught sight of the bag held in the man's hand, he assumed that the outfit was not his newest student's first choice in clothes. A teacher he may be, but he still had an image to present to the rest of the Academies around the planet. Something so ostensibly outlandish and ugly was not to be accepted in his illustrious Academy.

"I suppose I have you to thank for allowing me clearance," the boy suddenly said aloud as he turned to stare at Ozpin, the man catching sight of the brilliant blue eyes and the long scar on the right side of the boy's face, lessened by the bright and slightly mischievous grin aimed solely at the older man. "Professor Ozpin I assume."

Ozpin said nothing, watching as the young man rummaged through his bag until he drew forth a metallic silver and black cylinder he swiftly attached to his belt with a faint click. An odd weapon to be sure, but then again Ozpin couldn't forget that one of his own faculty possessed a _riding crop_ as her personal weapon. As they always try and teach their students, new and old alike; appearances can be deceiving... And when battling the Grimm this couldn't be truer.

Yet Ozpin soon released a small hum in acknowledgement accompanied with a small nod, never making eye contact with Ben as he moved to stand beside the young Jedi. The headmaster's eyes, alert and intent as they watched the dock hands move about and as they themselves examined the strange ship out of the corner of their eyes. The two men, now student and teacher remained in silence, as if in constant vigil as they remained side by side; with Ben seeming to be appreciative or perhaps expectant of the silence.

The young Jedi was quite thankful for the light respite, as the gentle and cool breeze soothed his matted hair and his clammy organic hand; the limb having been finally released from being trapped in the thermal insulation glove. Ben also felt the Force and its ambient energies surround him, a feeling of calm sliding down his spine to rest in his gut as he breathed deep and reached out to bask in the Force. He might have questioned the Force in its desires as to sending him here of all the Unknown regions originally… But it was moments like this, at one with the Force and utterly at peace that he could begin to grasp the grander plan the Force had in store for him here.

Ben was brought forth from his sense of peace as a gentle clack met his ears, his eyes snapping open as he turned to see Ozpin begin to walk away as the older man's cane tapped against the dock floor with every second step. The young Jedi quickly reached out with the Force to discover the cause of his new teacher's sudden departure, sensing only a feeling of slight amusement that shifted between apathy and intrigue. Yet, buried beneath this was a profound and truly vast feeling of detachment from his new teacher. Ben however felt the reasoning behind it all too clear as he delved into the fragmented images that flashed through the grey haired man's mind.

Ozpin was training_ children,_ young men and woman yes, but for some still children all the same… To fight beasts of myth and make believe even by his own outrageous standards. It was a given that not all students who would attend this academy would survive to see their training to completion. Like the Jedi of now and the past, being a Hunter or Huntress was not a path to be walked lightly. It was a hard life, fraught with peril and uncertainty; never knowing which mission might very well end up being your last.

A position of total reliance given to the powerful warriors of this world, who are too few to defend it from a seemingly endless enemy. For a single moment, Ben thought he could understand his father's plight as the first Jedi Master a little bit better. To know that you are all that stands between the extinction of your kind and that you must pass on what you have learned whilst knowing there would be those who would not survive... It was indeed a very sobering thought.

"Come along Mister Skywalker," Ozpin called over his shoulder to the still standing Jedi, heading for the large gates that lead to what Yang had told the young Jedi when reading the information regarding the school as the amphitheatre. "We are currently having an assembly to welcome the new first-years, and I get the feeling your friend Miss Xiao Long has saved you a seat."

Ben gave his head a light shake as he drew away from the Force, clearing his mind as he gave a sheepish grin.

"Sorry sir, I'll be right with you." He called out as he made to follow the headmaster. Only to stop in his tracks as Ozpin held up a single hand and gestured for Ben to look down. Ben did so and finally remembered that he was in his flight suit, and knew for a fact that if he walked in wearing _this…_ Yang would NEVER let him forget it.

Ben sighed as he glanced at the still retreating headmaster, who then pointed to a change room for the employees without looking back.

"I suggest you make use of the facilities first young man," the man's tone was wry and bemused as Ben watched Ozpin open the auditorium doors, the vast shadow set before him looking like a great maw to Ben's eyes. At last Ozpin looked back and gave Ben a slight smirk, tipping his head before he walked into the shadows. "I think you would be most appreciative of the opportunity." His piece said, Ozpin stepped forward and allowed the door to close silently behind him.

Ben looked at the door in silence, before his gaze shifted to the slightly ajar change room door and without a word made straight for it.

* * *

Ben sighed as he drew up the black hood of his robes, the black leather glove over his right hand shining in the setting light of the sun as he adjusted the remaining pieces of his equipment. His leather boots felt a fair deal more comfortable than the old pair of thermals he wore while in his flight suit; the bright orange outfit now folded and placed safely back within the duffle bag along with his school supplies and other gear.

Ben felt a wry smirk grow on his lips as he walked through the crowd of workers. Their surprise and slight awe emanating through the Force like gentle waves against the shore as he walked by, Ben himself knowing the impact the modified set of grey and black Jedi robes had on those who were unfamiliar with the Order. The armor also might have played a large part of the feelings he admitted, the single pauldron of matte black Corellian carbon and cortosis alloy steel etched with the symbol of the Alliance and the former Imperial Empire lain overtop one another would have seemed strange enough. Mixed with the single bracer he wore on his left arm up to the elbow and the pair of greaves that encircled his shins, Ben supposed he was a sight to see for these people. The young Jedi began to laugh lightly to himself as he neared the primary entrance to the auditorium, thankful a young staff member who worked the landing platforms had seen fit to give him directions.

"Well… Time to get this the hell over with," he murmured to himself as he looked at the unassuming twin doors, coloured a dark grey and unable to shield his mind and body from the literal ocean of emotions and thoughts of the people inside. The son of Luke Skywalker took a deep breath as he stared at the sleet grey doors, standing tall as he squared his shoulders and emptied his mind; letting the Force flow through him to drown out the thoughts of those inside until silence descended upon him once more.

An unfortunate side effect of having his own Aura and the Semblance he possessed being unlocked, something that had caused quite the bit of embarrassment for him and Yang as he could, and still did, hear every little thing she had thought about him. Especially since she had been the one to unlock it or him, he could read her mind at any moment, without conscious thought. It was always just there… A connection between them that Ben had the very resigned suspicion would never be broken. And it was more than just that. Every memory, ever emotion, every touch… Everything she had experienced or known was open to him like a damn holovid.

"You really did it this time didn't you Skywalker?" he asked himself quietly as he sighed heavily, steeling his face into an expression of utter calm; cool and collected as he shoved the doors open, bathing the room in light as every person within turned as one to stare at him.

Ben said not a word, reaching out with the Force and his Semblance to find the one who was going to give him the most grief, eyes drifting over the crowd until he spied a pair of lilac eyes shining with mirth and joy as Yang waved at him frantically with a bright grin on her face. He seemed to visibly relax at this as the crowd soon refocused on the main stage, Ben moving down the walkway to reach the row of seats where Yang was and seeing that she had in fact saved him an empty seat on her left.

Smirking lightly Ben tossed the still waving Yang his bag, chuckling as her eyes went wide before she managed to grab it without a sound. Ben then leapt up after it, the graceful and apparent ease of his jump and the flip he performed at the apex to right himself catching a few of the female students eyes as he landed on his feet, swiftly offering Yang a grateful nod for catching his gear and then took his seat, pulling his hood down as he did. This action as well caused many of the female students who had watched his jump grin in satisfaction once their newest classmate revealed himself to their eyes and revealed himself to be a rather handsome man. Ben noted this and couldn't help but internally sigh.

_'Even on a system outside the Alliance, I'm still getting looked at like a piece of nerf steak,'_ he thought to himself dryly as he leaned back in his seat, letting his head fall back to rest against the spine of the chair as he felt Yang deposit his gear in his lap rather forcefully.

"About time you got here flyboy, was beginning to wonder if you had bailed on me." The blonde haired brawler said with a teasing grin, fluttering her eyelashes as she looked at Ben while leaning on her left arm that was propped on her toned and luscious thigh. While Ben had opened a single eye and stared at his friend blankly, he couldn't help the small grin that grew on his lips at the blonde brawler's teasing. Seeing her wiggle an eyebrow at him impishly, Ben closed his eye and shook his head with an amused sigh; muttering to himself with a grin as Yang only grinned cheekily at him… Both remaining completely unaware of the strange look the person sitting on Yang's right was giving the dark clothed man and the blonde beside her.

_'Just who is that guy?'_ she thought with a frown, black pixie cut hair with a streak of darkest crimson falling to shadow her left eye as she watched on in silence. _'And how in the name of Monty does he know Yang?'_

Young Ruby Rose was utterly confused at what she had just witnessed, her silver eyes focused on the scene of her elder sister smirking almost flirtatiously at the seemingly sleeping red haired boy. The young girl fidgeted with her hands in her lap, her head having shot down to look at her now rather interesting boots; peeking periodically at Yang shyly. Soon the young woman began to blush lightly at seeing what Yang was doing, mortified that her sister could ever be that forward with someone. Because before her eyes, Ruby watched as Yang sat with her head held aloft by her left hand, her eyes smoldering to a dark violet shade as they became heavy-lidded and fixed onto the young man. Yang's gaze was sultry as she stared at the closed eye man; a sinful grin growing on shining pink lips as the buxom blonde looked intently at the new arrival.

_'Dad would be having a stroke if he caught Yang looking at a guy like that!'_ The rather innocent and naïve fifteen year-old scythe wielder thought as Professor Ozpin finished his speech and bade the students to enter the main hall, as accommodations had yet to be made for the new students. Claiming that dinner would be served in an hour and that afterwards the students were expected to be in bed to prepare for the tasks tomorrow.

As a great tide the new trainees all rose to their feet, breaking out into whispers and the occasional giggle as they found friends from their days in academies past; as a rather curious bunch gathered by the silent red head and his blonde haired audience.

One of them, a pale skinned young woman with hair pure as the freshest snow fall watched with light yet noticeably false disdain, being unable to fully hide the blush on her cheeks and the darting of her pale crystalline blue eyes. Her dress, the same colour as her hair that ended in a stiff skirt to preserve mobility was barely able to disguise the almost full body blush she possessed; the light pink that dusted her skin running from the roots of her hair and down to her toes which were thankfully hidden by thigh-high, pump heel boots.

_'He looks like one of those brigands or rogues mother told me of in her stories,'_ the white haired girl thought with idle curiosity and intrigue, a mild sense of excitement coursing through her as she had an image burst to life in her mind. One of the new boy, shirtless and carrying his pants in his hands, grinning at her with mischief and devilry in his eyes as he leapt from her bedroom window to escape her father's wrath as she sat on her bed; holding her sheets up to her chest so as to protect her modesty in front of her father. Yet the moment that thought and image came to its end, the young woman released a small squeak, glancing around and praying to all the gods she could name that no one had seen her as a bout of embarrassment burst to life within her chest.

Another, a young man garbed in black and orange underneath the light plate metal common of some rookie hunters; with blonde hair and dark blue eyes watched in envy and light depression as he saw the rather attractive blonde and the white haired goddess gaze at the new guy. He however straightened his back and stood tall, a confident expression plastered upon his face; yet even then it was unable to completely hide the awkwardness the gesture seemed to give him. While off to the side, a young lightly tanned woman with bright red hair held in a high ponytail that fell to her mid-back, and brilliant emerald green eyes looked upon the blonde haired male with a gentle smile. Her smile and eyes were caring and intelligent as her armor flashed in the light of the setting sun.

Three others moved towards the two still seated hunters and their ever growing crowd, one with long black hair with a streak of vibrant pink sighing in exasperation as the woman on his left began to chatter a mile a second, brown hair bobbing to and fro as she dashed around him. While hidden in the shadows, a young woman with slightly tilted golden eyes with long tresses of silky black hair, decorated with a small bow upon her head watched the group in curiosity as she gently closed her book and moved to join them; watching as the other students gathered their sleeping bags and prepared for bed. Though considering that it was still barely six in the evening, she supposed that dinner would have to come before anyone contemplated sleep.

Yang at last noticed the small crowd that had gathered around her and her best friend and sister, blinking owlishly as she realised she had done it again. Chuckling sheepishly, Yang scratched the back of her head as the group looked at her, each of them a little familiar with each other having conversed on the flight from Vytal to the Academy.

_'I hope Ben doesn't find out about this,'_ she thought to herself hopefully, yet it was soon dashed as a chuckle echoed in her mind. The sound caused Yang to freeze in utter stillness with her eyes going slightly wide, as the others looked at her questioningly.

"Your thoughts betray you Yang," a voice on Yang's left spoke up, startling the young woman and the others as Ben opened his eyes and looked at Yang with a small grin, cerulean eyes flashing in mischief. "Because I always know what goes on in that hardhead of yours," he said with a grin as Yang looked at him in disbelief, until a light seemed to go off in her head.

"Damn you and your stupid Semblance flyboy," Yang groaned out as she got to her feet and moved to get her own personal belongings, the exaggerated sway in her sinful hips belaying her true state of mind as Ben began chuckling behind her; shaking his head in amusement. However, as he knew that he had wasted enough time already, Ben got to his feet, nodding in respect and courtesy to the slightly confused and intrigued group around him… Before he went off to grab some food and get ready for bed. Lurking in the shadows, Ben swiftly pulled out one of his ration bars and gnawed on the meal replacement, hoping to avoid scaring his new classmates with the sight of his arm. He'd done that a lot as of late, but the young Skywalker scion supposed he could justify a little laziness to his father once he returned to the Order. In about four or five years give or take. Besides, it's not like his old man couldn't drop in to see him in that time period anyway.

* * *

Yang soon arrived about twenty minutes later in the ballroom to find her new group of 'friends,' as she supposed she could call them all gathered together, talking to each other and going beyond the typical, "Hello my name is blank and you are?" She smirked a little as the numerous boys heads began to turn towards her, the tight fitting orange tank top doing wonders for her full and voluptuous figure; only accentuated by the form fitting dark brown boy shorts she wore as part of her ensemble. Causing many of the people she enjoyed calling target practice to have their jaws damn near touching the floor at the sight of her. From her well-toned thighs, smooth skin, and mile long legs. She was a killer and she sure as all hell knew it. Yet it was Ben's reaction most of all, she was utterly desperate and excited to see.

Seeing her little sister scribbling away at the journal their mom had left Ruby as a kid, Yang quickened her stride between the small paths made by the laid out sleeping bags, knowing that Ruby was still a little sore about the fiasco with that Weiss girl after they got off the large transport.

"It's just like one biiiiig slumber party huh Rubes!" Yang exclaimed cheerfully as she dove into the cluster of young teens and settled beside Ruby, the younger girl looking down at her journal as the small sleeping mask she used was held against the bangs of her hair.

"Yeah, except I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys though," Ruby said truthfully, focused on her writing as Yang lay on her side and propped herself up with her elbow as she looked around and gave an appreciative grin. The busty blonde's mind now focused on her father's peculiar distaste for one boy in particular. And as she felt a flash of annoyance and the sudden chill accompanied by a sense of uttermost calm, Yang turned her head and smiled lustfully as she saw the intended target of her choice in nightwear. And she couldn't help but appreciate what she saw in turn.

"I know I do," she purred seductively, eyes fixated on the room's newest arrival, causing the rest of the group to turn and see what their flirty blonde haired companion was talking about. Only to freeze in shock as Ben Skywalker entered the ballroom and moved to join their small gathering, holding his bag in his left hand as he walked. All while wearing nothing but a pair of knee length black shorts, a habit Ben had apparently picked up from his father; who had grown up in a desert as a child or so he told Yang. Yet while Yang was fixated on his body overall, every other set of eyes in the room was riveted on one thing in either horror, sympathy, or fear.

The metallic and slightly menacing cybernetic limb that Ben Skywalker called his right arm. Having lost the limb from the shoulder down in a duel against Caedus during his final assassination attempt, Ben had opted to receive a cybernetic similar to what his grandfather possessed… According to the Empire's medical records at least.

Both as a memento of the Skywalker apparent tradition… And as a partial reminder of what could happen should he ever stray down a darker path. After all… Vader had always been more machine than man.

The limb itself was expensive and highly customized in its construction, the material it was made of forged from a blend of numerous alloys found across the galaxy renowned for their rarity. And their innate ability, now passed onto the cybernetic, to withstand and resist even the awesome cutting power of a lightsaber; with the cortosis alloy and beskar iron, found only on Mandalore being a fundamental component of the unique alloy that had been processed to make it.

The limb itself was coloured a matte black and intertwined with veins of red and bronze. It shone bright under the dim candle light of the room, each contour and piece melded together in an almost metallic and liquid grace… A near seamless replacement for the one Ben had lost. Making barely a sound as it moved with Ben's every stride across the grand ballroom floor, the servos clenching and grinding with nary a spark or sound as Ben looked solely upon the group of first years. A flash of gold then caught the spectators' eyes, as they noticed each fingertip was capped in dark gold. The few blacksmiths among them also recognized that the metal as no alloy, but forged to shape from one specific element. The arm itself looked nearly identical to Ben's organic limb, built to match the rest of his body and fit with his physique.

Which, as the gaping students now actually looked at, put many of the male students' to shame. Being a Jedi was both a mentally and physically demanding life. To perform the feats that had made the Jedi famous throughout history, the members of the Order, regardless of age and ability were forced into a strict and gruelling exercise routine. Being the son of the Grand Master meant that Luke put Ben through an even more painful regimen, the exercises he was tasked to perform being derived from the methods Master Yoda had used on Ben's father and grandfather during their early years as Jedi. The results were… Pleasing to say the least. And while Ben heard that some may have found the concept strange, he didn't mind the harder exercises. It was a way to connect to his legacy, and spend some time with his father in a galaxy that seemed driven to tear them apart.

Ben thankfully remained naive of the sudden influx of stares to his person, as in many of the female students' opinions, the young man possessed the body of an ancient Greek God from the myths predating the creation of Dust. Each individual muscle as if cut from marble stone as they flexed and twitched with the slightest of movements , yet his physiques was not so obscene as to have muscles the size of his head that prevented him from even moving properly. He had achieved a perfect balance between power and speed… A blend of utmost grace and agility, coupled with pure, uncontested and awesome physical might. And many couldn't help the flash of utter jealousy and rage as they saw him grin impishly at the busty blonde laying almost provocatively before him, her eyes hooded and set over a sinful smile as Ben approached her with a near predatory gait of his own.

"You really know how to get a woman's motor running don't cha flyboy?" Yang teased once Ben finally reached them, giggling lightly as the young man only tossed his bag next to the blonde's own sleeping bag with nary a sound. The lilac eyes beauty's full lips having now grown from a seductive smile into a bright and friendly grin as Ben scoffed at her good naturedly as he moved to sit down with her and the others. However, Yang's grin was short lived as Ben then smirked wolfishly at her, eyes shining a brilliant azure as the blonde felt a sudden shill crawl down her back.

_'I could say the same about you Miss Sunshine,'_ his voice echoed in her mind, the tone teasing and deep as Yang gave her friend a light glare as Ruby finally spoke up.

"Uh, not to be rude or anything but... How exactly do you know my sister?" she asked quietly, glancing down at her journal as Ben looked at her to answer. The young woman was fidgeting something fierce, hands running over one another as her eyes began darting to Ben and back down periodically as he looked at Yang questioningly, the blonde now looking anywhere but directly at her friend.

Ben frowned lightly at his friend as she finally looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, giving him a sheepish shrug of the shoulders as an answer. It was the actions that followed that simple answer that made Ben decide that this planet would put his will to the very limits.

Since Ben now had to start using every ounce of his Jedi training to resist looking at the curves of her body as Yang sat upright and stretched back, the motion doing some wonderful things to a certain part of her anatomy. The action only made all the more dangerous to Ben's sanity as she moaned throatily in pleasure, as the sound of cracking accompanied her actions.

_'I swear I'm becoming as bad as Uncle Han!'_ the young Jedi thought to himself as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Willing the Force to cleanse his mind from the highly inappropriate images in his head. He came here to help these people, not fall victim to his blasted hormones after fighting a war for three years!

_'Even in death you still find a way to miraculously screw with my life, don't you Jacen?'_ he thought and simultaneously accused sarcastically in his mind, unwilling to let Yang hear that little comment. She'd never let the matter drop, not if it gave her some form of blackmail against him. However he could deal with that later, right now he had a very nervous young woman waiting for him to answer her.

Opening his eyes Ben looked at the now lightly blushing young woman, deep silver eyes looking everywhere but at him or her sister. Ben sighed before he gave the girl a light and warm smile, hoping it would be enough to ease her worries.

"Well, Ruby was it?" Ben asked quickly with questioning look on his face as Ruby nodded yes rather shyly. "I met your sister and your Uncle Qrow about six months ago while hunting in the forests surrounding Vale." Ben explained, noting absently that the others of their little group had begun to pay a slightly more than necessary amount of attention to his tale. Besides, it wasn't like he was actually lying. As his mother had once told him long ago, sometimes the best lies had the barest grains of truth to them. "I had been tracking a pack of Beowolves and Ursa for two days, when the sounds of battle reached my ears in the early hours of the third day," he explained as he began to recall the day of their meeting with utter clarity within his mind.

"I dashed through the trees, praying that my prey hadn't found some unfortunate travelers and I would be too late to save them." He said lowly, now noticing the odd looks being sent his way by some of the other first years. He ignored it and looked back at his slightly riveted audience, smirking as Yang began to smile at the memory herself.

"And I soon came upon a clearing, the earth scarred and burned from battle, as the trees that once dominated the area lay before me shattered and broken from the grisly event taking place." He recounted, the smell of burning earth and fur intermingled with the metallic stench of blood filling his nose as he remembered seeing the dismembered corpses of the Beowolf pack lain out like so many broken dolls at his feet.

And then he smiled slightly, a single image burning clear within his mind as he closed his eyes and let the Force guide him, unconsciously reaching out with his Semblance while simultaneously Force melding the young Hunters and Huntresses in training with his mind.

Every person within the grand hall gasped in sudden shock and fear as they felt their Auras flare bright, as the sensation of liquid ice trailed down their spines in response to Ben's power. They saw before them a wide clearing, the broken forms of a dead pack of Beowolves spread out before them as they then started to fade away until they at last noticed the two figures within the clearing from their vantage point in the trees.

One they recognized was their newest arrival, his moderately tall and broad frame easy to distinguish being clad in robes of a peculiar make in black and grey, armor flashing in the sun as he held a peculiar object in his right hand, his eyes fixed upon a figure fighting against the two Ursa in the distance. It was with a start some of them recognized Yang, panting harshly for breath and wearing nothing but a simple tank top and tight athletic shorts as Ember Celica glowed red hot from the last barrage of gunfire she had unleashed against the two Grimm.

Ruby watched in panic as she now remembered this day, how Yang had been going out for a run and had then ambushed by the Grimm. At least now she had an inkling as to how Yang managed to deal with so many Grimm while having only one magazine for each gauntlet and no armor or Dust to aid her.

"Damn things just won't die!" Yang cursed, jumping on high to dodge the charging Ursa, however what she failed to notice was the second Ursa charging behind her, fangs bared to rip tender flesh from bone as the tired and fatigued young woman landed with a great bang falling to her knees in exhaustion as Ember Celica trailed in the scorched earth beneath her.

The students watched in horror as the blonde huntress remained unaware of the danger, until they finally noticed that Ben was nowhere in sight.

"Watch out!" a voice cried, catching Yang's attention as she spun as quick as she could, eyes widening in shock as the Ursa bore down upon her. Closing her eyes, Yang awaited for the blow she was sure would shatter earth and crack limbs; crossing her arms in front of her to try and allow her Semblance to take the brunt of the damage.

Only, the blow never came, as a great crash echoed in her ears and was swiftly followed by the grunts and roars of an angry Ursa.

Opening her eyes, Yang was stupefied to find a young man, probably the same age as her if she had to guess, holding back the Ursa with a single. Fucking. Hand. He was grinning at her over his shoulder, muscular frame straining to match and trying to dominate the powerful creature, his body shrouded with a brilliant blue-white glow.

"Thought you could use a hand," he quipped lightly, clipping a silver cylinder to his belt before holding out his now free hand towards Yang as he deftly began to lift the Ursa up high before tossing it aside. Causing it to crash into its partner with the great booming echo of thunder and flesh as the two predators became a large mass of flailing limbs and fur. Yang, along with those being affected by the meld were watching what had just happened in stupefied silence, with one thought echoing through the melded first years minds.

_'I NEED HIM ON MY TEAM!'_

While the Yang from the vision continued to look at the black clothed teen in shock as Ben remained as he was, hand held out and a gentle smile on his lips as he looked down at the tired huntress.

Yang then slowly lifted her hand and clasped Ben's, being slightly startled and letting out a light yelp as Ben hauled her to her feet and giving her a chance to get her bearings again. However Ben seemed to have underestimated his own strength, pulling the blonde woman nearly flush against him; their breaths intermingling as he steadied her and compensated for the over exertion of strength. With Yang now nearly being nose to nose with the very attractive and almost roguishly handsome looking man, the buxom blonde felt even her infallible confidence falter as her cheeks turned a very faint pink. Which only increased as Ben grinned warmly at her, with his arm locked around her waist to prevent her from falling as her legs trembled from exhaustion.

"You all right there princess?" he quipped cheekily with a grin, eyes of deep cerulean flashing in mirth as he looked down at her. Yang was unable to answer coherently at first, as she was currently trying to gather her thoughts; the distinct feel of the corded arm of her saviour pressing through the thin fabric of her exercise shirt into her lower back. As well as the sculpted build that was barely concealed by his clothes, her body nearly molding to his own in the places they touched, and she would admit in a sole moment of clarity that she deeply enjoyed what she felt.

However before she could create a response, let alone begin to formulate the possibility of one; the two teens were brought back to reality as a deep and guttural roar reached their ears. Turning as one they were greeted to the sight of the two Ursa finally righting themselves, shaking and growling as they focused their attention back on their prey. Ben felt his eyes narrow as he tightened his grip on the blonde woman, feeling the Force surge through his veins as he prepared to defend both himself and the girl.

"Hold on." He told her getting a very confused from his blonde companion, her eyes furrowed as her Aura began to recharge thanks to the moment of rest given to her.

"What do you mean hold on-" she began to ask when Ben suddenly dashed to the trees, the speed exceeding even her younger sister's when using her Semblance as Yang felt herself clutch onto her rescuer until he stopped, gently easing her to rest against one of the still standing trees. Ben felt his training take over and quickly examined the young woman for any potential injuries. Nodding to himself as he saw she was perfectly fine save for her exhaustion Ben stood up, grabbing the object on his belt in his right hand tightly. Looking down at the now confused and dreary blonde, Ben knelt before her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she slowly met his eyes. He saw the confusion and amazement in her eyes as she looked at him, yet another emotion unfamiliar to him echoed deeper within those captivating lilac eyes.

"Stay here, okay?" he asked her gently as he felt the darkness surrounding the two beasts behind him drew ever closer. Anger and bloodlust echoed in the Force like a tidal wave as they prepared to rear him limb from limb, yet to a man who had battled Sith Lords it was all too easy. "I'm gonna get you out of here." He promised, the conviction and sheer honesty in his voice echoing within and surprising even his own ears. Yang meanwhile felt a sense of warmth and contentment settle in her body, her lips curling into a light smile as she leaned her head back against the tree while her eyes drifted closed.

She felt safe, despite the situation itself she knew, almost instinctively that he would do just as he promised.

"I'll hold you to that pretty boy," she murmured softly as sleep finally claimed the busty blonde into a calm and dreamless moment of peace. Ben smirked gently as he rose back to his full height, yet as the sounds of the Ursa drew closer he felt his smirk slip as the stone cold gaze of a soldier, of a killer settled over him. Thumbing the switch pressed against his thumb, his grandfather's old lightsaber, now his own, burst to life in Ben's hand; the brilliant blue blade humming and pulsing with power as he turned and prepared to slay the mindless monsters of the dark.

To the melded students, it was going to be a frightening... And yet beautiful experience watching Ben Skywalker fight. They watched transfixed in utter awe as he turned to face the two charging Grimm, his back straight and his eyes cold and unflinching. Ben moved forward with the confident stride and gait of a predator, having the desired effect of leading the charging Grimm away from the tree Yang was currently propped against as the tip of his blade singed and scorched the earth as he walked. Once he got within twenty feet of the two Grimm however, the young Jedi brought the blade to rest over his head in a two handed grip; spreading his feet shoulder width apart as he waited for the Grimm to draw closer.

What happened next passed as little more than a blur for his audience, as Ben bent his knees while the Force surged through him as a presence of such great might pressed down upon those witnessing the memory play out before them. The twin beasts roared in defiance as they leapt to close those last few precious feet between them and their prey, so much that they paid no heed to the light smirk on Ben's lips as they did. The closest, and larger of the two Ursa took a great swipe at Ben's torso, claws flashing in the sun as its fangs bared in a howl that rattled the earth beneath the two predators. To Ben it made it all too easy. He swung down hard, the lightsaber biting hard and true as it severed the Ursa's extended arm off at the elbow; continuing in his strike as he brought the blade back up into a guard, severing the beast's right knee off at the hip as it passed him. All while Ben hadn't moved a single step from his position, keeping his guard high as the two severed pieces of Grimm flesh began to fade away.

The second Ursa paid no heed to what it had just seen, its size and lack of wounds indicating it was a rather young beast, prone to more instinct driven decisions than the logical and honed thought processes of its older, and far larger kin. It leapt high in order to crush the unmoving Jedi yet Ben only lifted his head and stared the beast down. Brilliant ruby met cobalt blue and it was to be the last thing the Grimm would ever see, as Ben jumped up to meet it, his saber brought low and then in a rising rush the red hared warrior sliced the Grimm from groin to skull. The two halves of muscle and bone fell to the earth with a great crash, vanishing in a shower of blood and ash. Ben flipped forward as he descended, landing with a great flash of power as the earth bent and cratered under the force as he knelt to one knee. His head remained bowed as Ben slowly rose to his feet, blade still held firmly at his side as the remaining Ursa growled and roared in defiance and pain behind him.

Ben slowly lifted his head and turned to face it, eyes cold and hard as his armored boots kicked up the ash and burnt embers of the forest as he neared the thrashing Ursa. The hum of his lightsaber all the more menacing for it as the Ursa desperately tried to escape the approaching Jedi. Its solitary hand gouging into the earth in a desperate bid to find purchase and to pull itself away, the spines and armor it possessed broken and cracked from its previous experiences against the Jedi.

Ben felt nothing but pity as he looked upon the wounded beast, the shattered form of a once mighty predator brought so low. A silent din descended between predator and prey as the Ursa in a final surge managed to turn itself to face Ben. Ben felt the anger and pain of the Grimm like it was his own through the Force, yet beneath that was a fierce and deep rooted pride. Images and emotions raced through his mind, until Ben at last understood, even if only a little what these creatures were and how they perceived the world around them. It would not let its wounds be the cause of its demise. Nor would it plea for mercy from the beings it hunted should they prove victorious. It would fight to the bitter end.

Ben slowly raised his saber up over his head, watching warily as the beast gazed upon him until in a moment of clarity and fury borne strength... It lunged at him. Ben spun on the balls of his feet, twisting his body into a wide stance as he cast his saber down in a broad arc, and severed the Ursa's head from its shoulders as it passed by his body with nary and inch between them. Time seemed to slow for the melded students watching the event unfold, captivated as Ben gazed at the dissipating corpse of his foe as, with a gentle whoosh the blade of his weapon vanished. Ben stood still in the center of the battlefield, with a gentle wind all that greeted him as the ash and shattered remains of tree and stone surrounded him.

Even now he could feel despair and decay seep into the earth, taking root from the carnage and destruction wrought by these creatures of darkness. Ben took a deep breath as he called upon the Force for guidance, closing his eyes as he willed the energy that had allowed him to do so much good to answer his call. The raw might called upon began flowing from the crown of his head and down through his feet, battling the darkness as he began to cleanse the area of corruption and decay. A useful skill his father had taught him a few years ago, to battle and cleanse Dark Nexus points to allow the land the chance to heal and prosper once more.

He wasn't sure if it would work in this instance, yet as the darkness began to lose ground Ben only doubled his efforts, now aglow with dark sapphire energy and wisps of white-grey smoke as the earth rumbled and quaked, a black ooze being expunged form the earth that coated the ground, that slowly began to fade away as Ben called and plunged deeper into the flow of the Force.

_'Just a little bit more,'_ he thought victoriously as sweat beaded his brow and trickled down to his chin. The drops of perspiration falling to earth as the darkness of the Grimm vanished with a silent scream. Ben released a deep gasp and stumbled lightly from the release of the Force, the excess amount of power surging outwards in a great wave; dust and ash scattered in a great wind as it was released from his tight gripped control. His breathing labored for but a few seconds, wiping at his brow as he huffed in relief, before he finally shifted his gaze back to the sleeping Huntress.

Jogging over towards her Ben knelt and gently lifted the young woman into his arms, drawing on the Force for strength as he reached out and felt a bright beacon of light deeper into the forest, noting how traces of it flowed off of the woman in his arms. Releasing a light snort Ben continued on his way, knowing that his future was going to change from this moment onward.

**Read and review. Please? Any help is appreciated if you spotted mistakes or just want to voice an opinion.**


	2. Initiation and identities revealed

**Well, here is chapter two of my Star Wars/RWBY fic. **

**Not much to say but I can answer some reviews and messages I received to any of you reading this. Chapter five for my first story is still being edited and completed, not to mention my muse is a fickle bitch and won't settle on one thing at a time, as I am now also currently working on a Star Wars fic using Ben Skywalker in the Old Republic time period. **

**And where he follows the Path of the Je'Daii, who used both the light and dark side of the Force, and he has a harem. God me and my stupid male brain. Well that and I want to break ground here people! So I'm justified in doing those things, I swear! **

* * *

Ben walked ever onward through the dense undergrowth of the bright forest, with the blonde woman held safely tucked against his chest. Her locks of golden blonde hair falling like a shimmersilk curtain to cover the gentle curves of her face, as Ben felt his eyes rivet themselves upon her. It was an action he just couldn't control, his cobalt blue eyes tracing every curve of her with the greatest precision, engraving them to the most hidden and clear parts of his mind as the smell of lavender and lilac filled his nose.

"What the hell am I gonna do with you?" he asked the woman's still form quietly with an amused grin, the gentle rise of her stomach and chest the only indication he wasn't carrying a still warm corpse. A few moments passed and still the blonde remained apparently dead to the world, a gentle smile tugging the corners of her mouth as she slept against the young Jedi.

Ben soon contented himself to the gentle sounds of the forest and the world around him, until a hot swash of air upon his neck made the hairs on the back of his neck stand upright as the blonde snuggled closer to him.

"I never got your name," a gentle and husky voice asked sleepily, as Ben spared a single glance towards his precious cargo. Where he was greeted by the sight of a single lilac eye, staring at him with a warmth burning deep within its dark depths. In that single moment, Ben felt a sudden vertigo as he sensed the Force reaching out between them with the sheer might of a torrential rain on Mon Cal. He struggled against it for the fleetest of moments until the first words Jacen ever spoke to him as a Master and Padawan echoed in his mind.

_"Remember, concentrate on the moment. Feel, don't think. Use your instincts. The Force will guide you if you open yourself to its whispers and feelings."_

Ben closed his eyes as he relented his hold on the restrained energy, releasing a deep breath in order to calm himself as the Force continued its work. Tendrils of potent Force energy latched upon himself and the girl like a lifeline, as a surge of warmth and raw power passed between them. Ben had not the faintest clue as to what was going on or why... only that it needed to.

While up above and hidden within the trees, the students currently locked within the meld watched with bated breath and eager eyes, all apparently forgetting that what they were seeing was a mere memory, and not a rather well acted romance movie. None were more captivated however than a younger red-and-black haired young girl, whose silver eyes were filled with joy and near to tears as she watched the rather romantic moment unfold before her eyes. And unbeknownst to all of them, two watched with thinly veiled jealousy, as eyes of amber and of winter ice glared lightly at the blonde and the way the red haired boy held her in his arms.

Back down with Ben and his charge, the young Jedi seemed to mull over the blondes words for a few moments as the Force stilled between them once again, until he gave her a light and kind smile, as he murmured gently into the open air.

"I'm Ben… Ben Skywalker."

Looking down at her as his smile grew wider, Ben's eyes flashed to a brilliant white as he subconsciously reached out to connect their minds and thoughts together with the Force.

* * *

_"And who are you I wonder?" _a voice that was a perfect replica of the boys shot through her mind, the tone able to convey the curiosity the question contained.

Yang felt her eyes widen in shock as the voice echoed clear as a bell through her mind, briefly being unable to comprehend what she had just apparently experienced. Yet as she noticed the light grin on the boy's face and the flash of mischief in his cobalt eyes, Yang felt herself begin to calm down as she slumped and felt her muscles begun to loosen. While also trying to desperately not blush at the feeling of his muscular frame pressed rather tightly against her own. Coupled along with the fact she was currently being held in his arms rather easily, while her saviour looked rather well rested after apparently killing two Ursa.

_"Mama like," _she thought absently with an appreciative eye as she raked across his form more clearly; the warmth he exuded like a shroud beginning to seep into her very bones, almost mingling and intertwining with her aura. Yet as the thought took shape in her mind, Yang felt the boy begin to chuckle lightly in mirth as he cracked a wry smirk. Looking at him curiously and gently tilting her head to the side Yang felt a gentle tingle at the back of her mind, the sensation akin to a finger trailing down the back of her neck.

_"Mama still hasn't answered my question," _the voice said with a laugh, Yang blushing deeply as she now realised the source of the boy's sudden laughter. Her embarrassment however didn't last long as she then glared heatedly at the red haired man, eyes flashing a brilliant ruby as sparks emanated from her golden hair as her aura spike. She continued glaring as the now named Ben Skywalker raised only a single brow at the action rather unashamedly. He remained completely at ease, and seemed to actually find her reaction to finding out he was reading her mind with nothing but amusement. Yet Yang soon felt her anger fade as she saw an apologetic smile grow upon his face, feeling her heart flutter lightly at the boyish charm and mischievous light in his eyes.

"Sorry about that," Ben said softly as a gentle breeze swept down the well-trodden path the pair found themselves upon. "I forget most people probably aren't used to someone else's voice bouncing around in their head," he said with a chuckle. Yang in response began giggle lightly as she looked up at him, crossing her legs and absently noting how he adjusted to her constantly moving in his arms rather easily as she spoke.

"Thank you for pointing out a rather obvious fact there big guy, and the name's Yang, Yang Xiao Long," she said with a cocky and flirtatious smirk, crossing her arms under her breasts as the thin and rather tight shirt she wore clung to her like a second skin. A mere second after she had done so, Yang felt a sudden sense of embarrassment flash through her and the body she was currently pressed against suddenly became a lot warmer.

Blinking in confusion Yang looked at Ben, and to her surprise noted the rather light and slowly darkening blush on the boys cheeks, as he is eyes looked everywhere but _at _her. It was such an innocent gesture Yang couldn't help but giggle and begin to laugh deeply as Ben looked at her with a light glare. Yet he also felt his lips twitch into a grin as he shook his head.

'Somehow I know Uncle Han is smirking wherever he is in the galaxy,' Ben thought as he began to laugh with Yang, unaware of the figure hidden within the shadows of the trees, watching with a bright smile as he looked at the blonde woman held in the young man's arms. Tilting his head, the man soon smirked before vanishing into the trees, the flash of light upon the curved and wicked blade of his scythe the only sign he had ever been there.

Up above, the other students soon felt the world around them begin to flicker in and out, as Ben slowly released the mind meld, allowing them to fall into a dreamless and trance like sleep.

* * *

The next morning Ben awoke to the sounds of students hustling about in a panic, opening his eyes and pushing himself upright as he saw the others gather their things and rush about like bantha in mating season.

'What the kriff?' he thought with a scowl as a yawn tore itself from his lips, soon accompanied with Ben running a hand through his bedraggled red hair as he noticed the odd way their group had fallen to sleep after he released the Force meld. In a great group as it were, with him, Jaune and Ren on the perimeters with the girls all clustered in the middle.

Yang was in fact still sleeping soundly, lain on her side and reaching out to deftly wrap her arms around Ben's pillow and hug it close to her body with a contented smile on her lips. Ruby was mumbling something about chocolate chip cookies, whatever the force those were, and thrashing about lightly. Weiss was lain flat on her back, a light blush on her cheeks as she seemed really enraptured with whatever she was dreaming about.

If only he knew.

Blake was now slowly waking up, the bow on her head moving about with the influx of sudden and rather loud noise as her Faunus attributes moved about. Ben felt a small inkling of guilt well in his gut as he watched the raven haired young woman go about getting her things. He hated that he had pried into her past, but it was a subconscious action when in the Force meld. It wasn't just a one way street as many might have assumed.

It was a technique that opened the individual to another so completely that if one wasn't cautious, they could lose all sense of self while within the meld. Ben only knew that little fact because Jacen, early on in their time as Master and Padawan had warned Ben about the possibility of that happening should Ben ever encounter a situation requiring the meld to be used.

For as the people he had accidentally included in the meld had learned about his encounter with Yang months ago, Ben had the time to sift through their lives as well... And learned some interesting things. But he would stay quiet for now. It wasn't his place to try and bring up things that they wished to keep buried unless it became an issue that affected the other students as well. After all, he had his fair share of skeletons hidden in the closet.

Ben soon sighed as he stood up, stretching his arms and leaning back; the gentle hum of the servos and ligaments loosening themselves in his arm echoing in his ear. Stifling another yawn as he lowered his arms, Ben leaned down and began to gather his things along with his bag. Seeing a chrono off to the side, Ben felt his eyes widen a little as he realized that the vast majority of the students had overslept, as their initiation test began in less than ten minutes.

"Stang!" he cursed loudly as he quickly knelt down and began shaking Yang's shoulder. He knew Yang was easily irritated when she was woken up before she began the process herself, yet he supposed in a situation like this he was more than justified in doing so.

"Yang," he called out gently, the action accompanied by the jostling of her left shoulder. "Yang come on get up, initiation starts in less than ten minutes."

Those seemed to be the magic words as Yang shot upright immediately, nearly colliding with Ben who was only saved by a timely warning from the Force. All traces of sleep left her as the busty blonde swiftly grabbed her things before racing for the showers, not even giving Ben a second look as she passed. Ben meanwhile sat still and blinked owlishly, looking at where the blonde had been mere seconds ago and then towards the door leading to the showers as the others of their little group the night before seemed to have heard his declaration as well.

Ben then sighed, pushing himself upright and making his way towards the locker room. Sometimes he hated being the responsible one.

* * *

Ben gently closed the locker door as he clipped his lightsaber to his belt, glancing around as the other students grabbed their gear as quick as they could and some even falling over each other in their haste to get ready. Ben kept careful watch over his friends in the madness, noting how Ruby was shifting from foot to foot nervously; glancing around shyly as Yang attempted to calm her down. With Ember Celica gleaming in the light as Yang propped a hand on her hip.

Ben felt his lips pull into a gentle smile as he saw Ruby begin to visibly relax, glancing around more confidently as Yang put her hand on the younger girls shoulder. However the sound of a voice behind him brought Ben from his musing. And after the meld last night, it was someone Ben wanted nothing to do with.

"Hey, Skywalker!" the voice called out, a deep and condescending lilt within it as Ben turned his head and saw Cardin Winchester staring at him with a sneer. The boy was tall for his age, and possessed a broad build designed purely for offensive strength and superiority.

A styled head of combed back burnt-orange hair rested over indigo eyes as the boy held a large, pointed black mace in his hand. Ben sensed nothing but darkness within him, and this troubled the young Jedi. Coupled with the subtle whispers from the Force that only spoke of nothing but danger while in Cardin's presence, Ben knew from then on that he had to keep a careful watch on the Winchester scion.

Cardin seemed to take Ben's prolonged silence as some form of acceptance, as the broad shouldered teen soon made his way towards the now wary Jedi. And what happened as a result of this action, Ben swiftly filed away as reference in regards to what to expect with Cardin in future.

The sudden silence that emanated from the other occupants soon reached Ben's ears, as he noted out the corner of his eyes how every person was staring at him and the now smiling Cardin. Fear and disgust rippled through the Force like a bone rattling chill as Cardin drew near, many glancing away if he appeared to glance their way. Ben, in light of that soon dipped his hand down to his waist, gently unclipping the lightsaber as he stood up and turned to face Cardin.

The boy seemed surprised by the gesture, hesitating the barest of steps but quickly shrugged it off. He was smiling widely as he came to lean against Ben's locker, crossing his arms as he looked at the young Jedi. Yet as Cardin opened his mouth to speak, Ben cut him off; as the taller boy's words soon left the young Winchester scion burning with poorly disguised hatred and malice.

"Your thoughts betray you Cardin," Ben said ominously as he gently shifted his grip on the lightsaber to press his thumb against the activation switch. "Because you're the biggest damn fool in this whole kriffing school if you honestly think I would become friends with some schutta like you," Ben said harshly, his eyes flashing as his aura spiked; the sight of those two angered cobalt eyes burning into Cardin's mind like the mark from a branding iron as a feeling of darkness and hate seemed to surround the red haired teen.

Those watching were completely enraptured at seeing the infamous scourge of Signal become cowed by a man who had never attended any of their combat schools. Tension crackled like lightning between the two powerful Huntsmen, with Ben not backing down even as he saw Cardin reach for his mace.

The two were however broken from their impromptu staring contest, as a fingerless gloved hand landed on Ben's shoulder. Ben stilled immediately, yet was surprised once Cardin let the barest amounts of fear slip through his enraged mask; as the orange haired boy stared into the hardened lilac eyes of Yang Xiao Long. The one person in Signal that Cardin had avoided at all costs, because he knew Yang would kick his ass from here to Atlas and back if he pulled some of his usual stunts against her or her friends.

Monty forbid if he did something to her little sister.

Yet Yang soon tugged at Ben's shoulder, urging him away. "Come on Flyboy," she said softly as Ben turned to look back at her. "He ain't worth it, and I doubt he ever will be anyway," she continued with a hardened glare at the armored teen. Cardin turned to sneer menacingly at her, and in his rage forgot his earlier reasoning as to why he avoided her all through Signal.

"If I wanted your opinion _whore_ I would have asked for it!" he growled darkly, flaring his aura as Yang looked up at Cardin with murder in her eyes, the once cool lilac flaring to a brilliant ruby as her anger rose in an instant. Everyone else watched on in shock at the words that slipped from Cardin's teeth, disgust showing on many of their faces as they glared at him and moved towards him.

Yet it was what happened next that shocked everyone into a stunned stupor. A flash of black was all that was seen, until Cardin found himself pressed up high on the lockers, with Ben Skywalker glaring up at him with murder in his eyes, the once lustrous cobalt darkening into a vibrant emerald green. Ben despite all of this said nothing, only tightening his grip as the squeal and wrenching of refined and strengthened metal filled Cardin's ears.

Cardin remained still, petrified in horror and fear as he watched through his peripherals as Ben's cybernetic hand crushed a section of the solid steel door of the locker beside his head. Ben felt the dark side grow in strength as his anger and fury raged, yet he had tasted its power and influence before...and he'd be damned if he let it control him now.

Glaring darkly at the now visibly trembling first year hunter, Ben let the dark side bleed a little out of his body as a red haze surrounded him, and his eyes began to glow with a sense of malevolence and hatred as they bore deep into the cowardly boy's soul.

"Watch your tongue in future Winchester," Ben growled out, his voice damn near a dark hiss as Yang looked at the scene in shock. Yet Ben wasn't done.

"Because if you ever...insult her, or any of my friends again you son of a schutta I'm gonna remove the pathetic excuse of a thing that makes you a man with a rusty fucking knife!" Ben vowed darkly while glaring menacingly at the trembling teenager, the trickle of liquid falling to the floor signifying that the taller boy had in fact soiled himself from fear. Slowly Ben released Cardin from his grip, the larger boy collapsing onto the floor as Ben snorted in disgust as the petrified boy sat in a puddle of his own urine; before he turned and walked away.

Ben gently moved past Yang without a word spoken, clipping his lightsaber back onto his belt as he made for the exit. The silence he left in his wake all to telling of what the others thought of him now.

Slowly Ben began releasing his hold on the dark side, bleeding its violent energy from his body as he felt his emotions get back into line. It was risky using the dark side, but he had seen and used it enough to know when he reached his limit. It was in his blood after all, to use both sides of the Force and not limit himself to only the darkness or the light.

It made him dangerous, and all together someone many would not want to cross.

* * *

Ben stood silently as the first years followed Professor Ozpin out towards the cliffs overlooking the forest surrounding the campus. The shadows cast by the trees apparently did nothing to settle the students either, as the scene back in the locker room played back in Ben's head. Yet it was nothing compared to the verbal lashing the target of their words was giving himself mentally as he walked. He had let himself lose control for but a single moment, and he had very nearly drawn his lightsaber against a child!

And children is all that Ben saw when he looked around at the numerous faces of his peers. Despite being the same age, the young Jedi saw most of these people not as warriors or defenders. They had killed mindless beasts with superior armament and abilities, nothing more and nothing less. Something even a Jedi Imitate could achieve at a prepubescent age.

Not one of them had seen the light leave another intelligent creatures eyes as they fought against something smarter than them, against something that could think like they did and could outmuscle even their advanced gear. Ben had been doing that from the time he was a boy less than ten years old. He had fought across hundreds of worlds, right on the front lines and up above deep in the dark void of the stars... Now he couldn't count how many had fallen to his blade, or perished because of his choices. War is no mere game, and Ben had come to terms with that long ago.

He was brought from his dark reverie as a hand, that should be warm to the touch and the exposed skin he knew to feel as smooth as shimmersilk laced with his own. Ben started as he looked down and saw a familiar golden bracelet, following up the arm to see lightly toned arms with skin lightly tanned and then a puffy cap sleeve and the lower black cuff. Lifting his eyes he saw Yang giving him a small grin as she tightened her grip and Ben felt her fingers impress atop the leather glove he wore over the cybernetic hand as he smirked gratefully at her.

"Come on Skyguy, don't quit on me yet," she whispered with a smile as Ben shook his head and began to laugh, looking at her with his eyes no longer downcast as he answered her.

"Wouldn't dream of it."

* * *

Ben stood silently as they overlooked the Emerald Forest, the odd metal platform beneath his feet examined with a critical eye, as Ben noted the mechanism hidden beneath the sides to release it. Now more than ever was he more thankful for inheriting his grandfather's fascination and mastery of electronics and machinery. And he could only guess, and was most likely right on the purpose of that release mechanism.

"Launch pads?" he murmured to himself quietly with furrowed brows as Ozpin, and Professor Goodwitch with a clipboard in hand, turned to face the group of twenty odd students gathered together.

"Before you rests the Emerald Forest," Ozpin exclaimed, Ben seeing the ever present cup of cafe in his hand, with his cane at his side. "It is within this place, that your future at Beacon will be decided," Ozpin continued with an air of indifference, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the students. "For years you have trained as warriors to defend the people from the creatures of the Grimm," he paused as he appeared to look each one of them in the eyes, pausing ever so slightly on Ben as he continued his pacing. "Now your skills are to be put to the test."

Pointing behind him Ozpin took a slight sip of his cafe before continuing. "Deep within the northern sector of the forest an ancient temple now rests, where each of you will find a relic," Ben nearly groaned as he was able to piece together where this was going. Ozpin, if he noticed the light roll of the red haired man's eyes paid it no mind. "Your task is to seek out the temple, collect a relic and return here. Where, you will then be graded appropriately depending on your performance by Miss Goodwitch."

The spectacle wearing and, Ben swore that he would never admit it aloud near Yang, rather busty teacher moved forward; her green eyes sharp as fine emerald as she looked at each of the students with varying degrees of scrutiny. Her oddly tattered, or Ben supposed patterned cape billowing in a soft breeze behind her.

"We also understand there has been much speculation amongst yourselves in regards to teams," she said and Ben couldn't help but notice the light amount of cool detachment in her voice. Odd to be sure, but then he supposed after seeing potentially hundreds of students pass through your halls and some of them not surviving to the end might do that to any sane being. Shaking his head lightly Ben refocused on the professor, crossing his arms as the hem of his hood danced in the breeze.

"So I will be perfectly honest with you," Goodwitch continued as she glanced at each of them in turn. "You will be receiving your teammates today," she paused in order to let a majority of the students let the information sink in before continuing. "So it is in your best interest to find a partner and others with which you can work well with."

"As well," Ozpin suddenly exclaimed, causing the students to focus their attention upon the headmaster once again. "The first person you make eye contact with within the forest shall be your partner for the next four years."

Ben felt his eyes widen a little, as he heard Ruby's whimpers and disbelieving shout of "What?" Which was a sentiment all too clearly shared by the rest of them, as Jaune to Ben's left began shaking ever so slightly, while Yang propped a hand on her hip, an eager smile in contrast to Ruby's forlorn look firmly in place.

'Like throwing a bantha into the jaws of a gundark,' Ben thought as the other students seemed troubled by this little piece of information. Well...all except Nora, who looked at Ren and said rather smugly, "I told you so." Ben only quirked a brow at that, torn between amusement and sheer confusion as Nora smirked victoriously at the black and magenta haired boy, who seemed resolute in ignoring the rather excitable woman as Ozpin moved to stand beside Ben's platform.

"You will face tremendous opposition within the depths of the forest, so take heed and destroy all that stand in your way," the headmaster said, his tone now far cooler and authoritative then Ben had ever seen. Despite only really knowing the man for less than a full day. "If you do not, you will die," Ozpin finished, while also apparently uncaring at Jaune's audible gulp and chattering teeth.

"Now, good luck."

And with a click of a button, Ben was launched into the air, his dark garbed form flying high into the clear skies overlooking the ground far below as he sighed in exasperation. "Chaos take me!" he muttered grimly in resignation, as the wind whistled in his ears and he began his descent into the trees below. Flipping so as to have his feet in front of his body, Ben called the Force to him in a great wave, drawing it tighter and tighter together at the base of his feet as he felt his mind still and time seem to unwind like a knot before his eyes.

'Wait for it... Wait for it... NOW!'

With a great roar, Ben pushed forward with his feet, the awesome might of the Force crushing and desolating all in its path as the young Jedi felt his body slow down exponentially. Still using the Force to enhance his perception and coupling it with the loss in his momentum and speed, Ben let the Force guide him as his right arm shot out, the built in ascension gun firing the durasteel harpoon as it dug deep into the trunk of a tree. Ben swung down and severed the line in order to land on the branch he guessed to be about thirty feet below him.

"This is gonna hurt," he mumbled as he reinforced his lower body and spine with the Force, the thick limb of the tree cracking and bending under the force of the young Jedi's landing, Ben's knees buckling until his Force-borne strength saved him from permanent damage. Tucking into a roll Ben continued to fall, spinning his body until his cybernetic faced the trunk of the tree and he thrust it out, burying the powerful metallic device deep into the bark as he began to slow down. He felt his body strain against the sudden deceleration, muscles screaming in agony as Ben saw smoke begin to build where his metallic limb made contact with the wood, as his leather glove vanished into smoke and pieces of the fine material.

As the forest floor came into view, Ben lifted his feet and pushed off against the trunk of the tree, flipping his body as he landed with a crash, crouching low as smoke drifted into the air from his right arm. Slowly rising to his feet, Ben lowered his hood, looking around as he reached out with the Force and thankfully couldn't feel the perpetual darkness signifying a Grimm being nearby.

"Better find the others," he said, grabbing his lightsaber and trying to find Yang with his Semblance as he began running through the forest, glancing at his arm as the built in holo projector broadcast the overhead view Artoo was sending him with the _Fire_. He smirked as he brought up the northern half of the region and saw a great stone ruin, their design actually reminiscent in his mind of the temples on Yavin, built upon the edge of a cliff.

"Gotcha!" he said with a victorious smirk as he picked up the pace, releasing the holo map and using the Force to increase his speed as he darted through the trees. "Better hurry, who knows what will happen once Yang gets blaster happy," he lamented as he leapt over fallen trees and other debris in his path, as the image of a grinning Yang on top of a pile of fallen trees and Grimm popped into his mind. Ben felt his eyes narrow and his face become slack, shaking his head as he ran. "Ah Sithspit!"

* * *

Ben felt his lungs begin to burn as he drew closer to the temple, yet a feeling of unease settled in his gut at the lack of Grimm. He had expected quite a lot of resistance, but instead he hadn't come across a single one. 'Like trying to find a Sand Demon on Tatooine,' he thought ruefully with a roll of his eyes as he leapt into the trees to cover more ground, the padding of his leather boots absorbing most of the impact as he continued to use his Force enhanced speed and strength. Ben however stopped short as a feeling of sudden dread and darkness echoed on the fringes of his sensing abilities, accompanied by the large group of signatures he knew to be Yang and the others. Yet for some odd reason, Ben sensed that Weiss was actually in the air and falling fast towards the earth below her.

His eyes widening in realization, Ben leapt forward and broke through the tree line, looking to the sky and seeing a brilliant white dot plummeting to the earth. "Son of a nerf herder!" he cursed loudly, as he drew on the Force and leapt higher into the tree. The young Skywalker coiled his body like a spring, his natural strength augmented further with the Force as, in a powerful burst he launched through the air; the sound echoing like a cannon shot through the forest. The others meanwhile, now all currently gathered around the ruins of the gateway to the main temple turned their gazes at the titanic sound to watch as Ben rocketed towards the still falling Weiss.

They watched in relief as Ben caught Weiss in his arms in a bridal carry, using the momentum of her landing in his arms to take them into a spin; allowing Ben to aim his feet in front of them as he began to draw closer to the ground. Ben briefly looked at Weiss, and the young heiress felt her heart still and her breath catch as she saw the determined yet confident light in the young man's eyes as they fell from the sky.

"Hold on," he said simply, the rough husky timbre of his voice sending a tingle accompanied by a pleasant shiver down the young woman's spine as she wrapped her arms around his neck snugly.

Seeing that Weiss was no longer panicking and calm, Ben called on the Force once more, using it to slow down their descent as he felt his muscles begin to burn like blaster wounds at the sudden loss of the powerful energy reinforcing the fatigued tissues. He grunted deeply in slight discomfort as he drew upon his Aura next, the mystic energy revitalizing his body as the Force bent to his will.

Weiss tightened her grip as the ground drew closer and closer, until in a fit of sudden fright she dug her face into the crook of Ben's neck, not daring to watch as the noble young man died trying to save her, until with a great bang and the sound of thunder, they came to a stop, Weiss being lightly jostled as Ben twisted his body to take the brunt of the impact.

Once a light ring on her ears began to fade away, Weiss shakily pushed herself upright, a curtain of her snow white hair falling to obscure the two from the watchful eyes of the others as Ben still held his arms around her, the two limbs now at her hips as she straddled the young Jedi. Ben meanwhile was thankful his aura was still at maximum, feeling as the light bruising and fatigue in his muscles began to fade away.

However it didn't stop him from grunting in pain as he let his head fall to rest upon the cool earth and the soft grass of the clearing. "Force it feels like a Krayt Dragon was dancing on my ribs," he muttered through clenched teeth, momentarily unaware of where his hands were currently placed, and the rather beautiful woman sat atop of him.

Weiss however did, and stopped dead with her hands propped on the Jedi's muscular chest while releasing a light squeak, eyes wide in a deer in the headlights look. After a few seconds to collect himself, Ben lifted his head and felt a great sense of relief at seeing the unharmed young heiress. Past experience however forced him to make sure.

"You alright," he asked with a small grin, pushing himself upright so that he was resting on his elbows, Weiss because of her situation moved with him, now sitting almost perfectly straight on his lap. Weiss felt a light amount of heat bloom in her cheeks as she saw the honest concern in his question, having actually expecting him to begin flirting with her. Yet before she could formulate an answer, a shrill cry reached their ears as the two looked to the side and saw a large, scorpion like creature approaching the others. Ben felt his eyes narrow as he gently lifted Weiss off of his hips, the young woman shivering at the heat of Ben's hand as it reached her skin through the fabric of her dress, while the metallic chill of his cybernetic caused her to jump in his grip. Setting her off to the side, Ben got to his feet and offered Weiss his hand.

"Come on, we got work to do," he said calmly, Weiss gently placing her hand in his own as Ben effortlessly pulled her to her feet. Smirking at her Ben tilted his head until he began to run towards the group of young Hunters in training.

* * *

"What the hell is that thing?" Jaune cried out as he helped Pyrrha to her feet, the rest of their little band of misfits, each with a relic in their possession watching the beast warily once they made sure Ben and Weiss were okay. Blake turned to look at the blonde haired teen with a lightly quirked brow, the bow on her head shifting ever so slightly at the question. Surely, even someone like Jaune must have studied Deathstalkers before or at least heard of them? Yet before she could voice the question, they each watched wide eyed as the Deathstalker was suddenly sent flying far into the forest, turning as one to see Ben with his hand outstretched and a cool determined look upon his face.

Lowering his hand Ben jogged over to the others with Weiss right behind him, the light flashing off of his arm as he came to a halt in front of them. He gave Yang a small smile as the two locked eyes until he looked out above the blonde woman and raised his hand once more. A chess piece, the Black King then flew into his open hand as Ben put it into a small bag attached to his belt and seemingly ignored the surprised looks on the others' faces.

Before any questions could be asked however, a piercing cry echoed through the skies, as the group turned their gazes towards the south, watching as a speck of black upon the horizon drew closer to the temple. Jaune gulped audibly as he pointed a shaking finger at the beast.

"G-guys, that things coming back around," he stammered as the others stepped back while drawing their weapons. However the sound of a deathly wail and the rumble of the ground beneath their feet caused them to stop, as they heard, rather than saw the Deathstalker Ben had tossed like a toy begin the hunt anew. "And I think that things really pissed off," Jaune finished as he looked fearfully between the cluster of broken trees and the very large Nevermore now circling overhead.

Ben only felt his eyes narrow as he tried to think of a way out of this mess. And just as his lips opened to speak, another voice beat him to the punch.

"We can just leave can't we?"

Blinking owlishly, Ben turned to the now slightly sheepish Ruby, who had her weapon in its compact form slung across her lower back and her head lightly bowed. Appearing to gather her courage she took a steadying breath before she looked at each of them in turn. "I mean," she began as she rubbed her left arm nervously, "We have the relics, and it's pointless to fight these things. It's only wasting the time we have left. So, why don't we just go back to the cliff and forget about these things?"

Yang grinned proudly as she darted forward and wrapped an arm around Ruby's shoulders, squeezing the young girl affectionately. "Oh look at my baby sister all grown up!" she cooed as Ruby began to struggle in her sister's grip, as their partners only gave a conjoined sigh and light smirk at the scene. Ben meanwhile gave Ruby a subtle nod and a small proud smile, soon bringing up his holomap as the others gathered around him.

"Alright, now that's taken care of I suggest we get a move on, cause I think that thing's coming back for round two," he said as he deftly brought up their current location and the nearest means of escape. As he darted across the map, Ben suddenly tapped the projection and smirked cockily. "Looks like the only way out without having to retrace our steps through all the Grimm is this temple not too far from here to the east," he said as he zoomed in on the image, subtly keeping an eye out for the Deathstalker and upon the circling Nevermore. "Our other option is to back track and fight our way out, but I think I can safely say that's off the table," he said jokingly as the others grew small smirks or grins of their own.

However the little moment was quickly broken by the now noticeably closer roars off the Deathstalker, as Ben dismissed the map and turned towards the temple. "Time to go!" he called out as he soon started to run, the others nodding hastily as they sprinted after him. And none too soon, as the Deathstalker swiftly burst through the trees as the young warriors vanished back into the safety of the forest.

* * *

"Blast this is why I hate Grimm!" Ben roared as he severed the head of another Beowolf, the others facing similar problems as they drew ever closer to the temple ruins. Thankfully no one had been injured as of yet, but they were starting to tire. Ben was still able to continue simply because in comparison to fighting a war, slaying monsters was a far simpler task. They had encountered a few roaming bands of Grimm as they dashed through the trees to freedom, mostly Beowolf packs and a pair of wandering Ursa which had been quickly disposed of by the talented teens.

Yet Ben noticed the signs, as his friends began to slow down, their forms sloppy and movements becoming increasingly sluggish. The others had been fighting all day trying to reach the relics, and the continuous use of their abilities had taken a heavy toll on their bodies. Even now Yang was the only one beside Pyrrha and Ben who was in relatively good fighting shape, but another concern soon arose.

They were running out of ammo and fast. Ren had already used the last clip in his twin sub-machine guns, which Ben learned was named Storm Flower, in order to prevent Nora from using her last grenade charge against an unlucky Ursa. Pyrrha too had stopped using her rifle in order to conserve the last few rounds she had left, as Ruby grabbed the last spare magazine for Crescent Rose and slammed it home, chambering another round as they disposed of the last Beowolf.

'This isn't good,' he thought with a frown as he deactivated his lightsaber, clipping his grandfather's old weapon to his belt once more as he swiftly jogged over and helped Blake to her feet, a light cut along the raven haired woman's exposed midriff causing him to shoot her a concerned look.

"You alright?" he asked as Blake nodded her head mutely, leaning on his taller frame for support as she willed her aura to heal the wound faster. Ben watched as the parted flesh knit itself closed, yet he knew Blake had taken another rather large hit to her aura reserves. Not to mention that their wounds would only reopen once their aura reached a low enough level, and Ben wasn't sure if they would survive out here if that happened. If he had to Ben would have Artoo bring in the _Fire_ and get the others to the medical bay. But he had more important things to worry about at the moment.

"Sithspawn!" he growled as Blake righted herself, giving him an appreciative smile as they took up their escape once again. Lagging behind as the rear guard, Ben cast out his senses, the dark, malicious feeling of hatred from the Deathstalker and the Nevermore still directly behind them, only now they were far closer. "Dammit, at this rate we might have no choice but to fight," he cursed as he leapt over a fallen tree, keeping a careful watch over the others as they saw the light of the sun begin to break through the thick shroud of the trees.

It was soon a great relief to the students as they burst from the trees, running along a small path set between two parallel rows of stone columns, the Nevermore flying ahead of them and landing atop the temple with a great crash. Seeing this, Ben felt his eyes widen before he dashed forward and grabbed Weiss, Blake and Yang as he yelled towards the others.

"Take cover!" he bellowed as he Force dashed behind one of the pillars on the left, Blake and Weiss pressed into his chest as Yang held onto his neck with his hands pressed into the small of her back. All while our young hero was completely unaware that the three girls were now blushing lightly at the feel of his sweat matted and muscular frame pressed against their bodies. Setting the exhausted girls down, Ben moved to the edge of the pillar and glanced out, eyes darting towards the others as Jaune led them to the right and readied their weapons. Ben knew that if they stayed and fought some of them weren't going to make it out alive, unless he did something really crazy.

'Well, so much for keeping a low profile,' he thought lamely as he drew his lightsaber, the brilliant sapphire blade catching the Nevermore's eyes as it cawed angrily at the young Jedi. Ben glanced at the girls and placed a single finger to his lips, before he moved to the center of the walkway, squaring his shoulders as he moved with sure feet to face it head on. Pointedly ignoring the hushed whispers and pleas of his friends as they nearly darted towards him, only to stop dead as Ben fixed them with a cold look.

Ben held his cool gaze until they slinked back into the safety of the shadows, relieved that they were at the moment free from the monsters scrutiny. Ben then turned his gaze towards the Nevermore once more, eyes glowing with power as the Nevermore went quiet. Man and beast stared at one another in silence, both unflinching even as the Deathstalker erupted behind Ben from the trees, growling murderously as it watched the lone human with the odd weapon held angled down in his right hand warily. Ben smirked lightly as he felt the Deathstalker come to a halt, crunching its pincers together as Ben stilled his mind and then slowly closed his eyes.

The others were watching with shocked stares as the Deathstalker seemed to take Ben's unmoving form as a sign of acceptance as it charged, baring its glowing stinger on high as stone rumbled and cracked from the mad beast's charge.

"Ben!" they cried as one, all fearful for their friend until they watched in utter stunned silence as Ben seemed to blur into motion, flipping backwards as he swung his blade and severed the stinger from the Deathstalkers tail. The beast released a deathly and agonized wail, thrashing about as it swung the now stinger-less tail in an attempt to crush Ben, who was now crouched low with the blade held over his head and angled down and away behind the terrible beast.

Yet instead of being crushed as everyone expected, Ben swung the blade down hard as the tail drew close, severing the massive limb in a single strike as the smell of burnt flesh and Grimm blood filled the air. Following through Ben then lunged to the left, and cut off the beast's rear leg, jumping back as it crashed to the earth, pushing off and leaping high until he spun the blade and drove it down and through the beasts head. The young Jedi rode upon the thrashing monsters back as it struggled to kill him, gritting his teeth and holding on for dear life as he pulled his lightsaber free and latched onto the section he had cut into the beast's skull with his metallic limb.

"Why won't you just die!" he cursed the creature aloud as it bucked and thrashed, yet he could feel the weakness settle in the Grimms limbs as Death slowly took his prize. Ben in a moment of warning from the Force leapt to the side, rolling into a crouch as he stared at the Nevermore. The large predator now circling directly above him, a set of its feathers buried up to the fletching in the Deathstalkers corpse from its attempt to kill him. Ben felt his eyes narrow as the giant bird screamed as it circled him, its demonic red eyes never once straying from the kneeling Jedi.

"I got a bad feeling about this," he murmured to himself, hastily entering the opening for Shien as he got to his feet, moving along with the circling Nevermore. A sudden tingle in the back of his skull flared to life as Ben Force jumped up to the causeway lain atop the pillars, as the Nevermore discharged more of its feather; the projectiles gouging stone and earth as it tried to skewer him. Ben then began to run as the world seemed to come to a crawl as he called on the Force once more.

Looking over his shoulder, he saw as the Nevermore cried angrily as Ben began to get farther away, apparently uncaring that its prey was running straight for the temple. Ben turned back to face in front of him, launching to the side in a flip as more feathers slammed home where he had previously standing. Landing on his feet, Ben ran as fast as he dared towards the temple, his mind running a mile a minute as he thought of a plan to kill this sleemo.

Seeing the crumbling stone of the temple ruins, a plan began to form in the young Jedi's head. It was reckless, insane and altogether idiotic. 'Guess Mom was right' Ben thought with a fond smirk as he continued to weave form the Nevermore, 'I am more like Dad than I thought.' Glancing back over his shoulder, Ben watched as the Nevermore apparently grew fed up with the chase as it rose higher into the air and then entered a steep dive; a malicious cry echoing from the abyss of its gullet.

Ben remained calm as he continued to run, his lightsaber blazing with power as time returned to its normal flow as the scream of the Grimm echoed through Ben's very bones. Ben never faltered in his steps however as the Nevermore drew closer until the young Jedi launched himself into the air, flipping back as he landed upon the Nevermore's upper back and grasped a cluster of feathers in his hand as it took to the skies once more.

Raising his saber on high, Ben drove the weapon deep into the monsters shoulder, as flesh, muscle, and bone parted from the awesome cutting power of the lightsaber; until with a great cry Ben severed the beast's wing from its body. Monster and hunter now finding themselves plummeting in a turbulent spin towards the awning pit below them as the layer of white fog obscured all below it. Ben rose to a crouch as he clutched to the Nevermore's feathers, swiftly deactivating his lightsaber and clipping the weapon to his belt once more as he spun round and began to run atop the beast's back, his eyes wide and a bright wolfish grin on his lips as he called to the Force like an old friend.

Power surged through him in a great surge as he timed his leap as the others began to run towards him. Ben the n jumped as hard as he could form the base of the Nevermore's spine, the subtle boom from the sudden release of the Force against the Grimm's back sending it plummeting even faster towards its doom. Ben arced high in the air with his body loose and his mind calm as he rushed towards the cliff like a rocket. Ben soon landed with a grunt, rolling along the rocky earth as he came to a halt about ten feet from the edge and lain flat on his back, breathing heavily as the clouds passed him overhead.

Closing his eyes, Ben released a sigh of relief as he heard the others approach, beginning to laugh in disbelief at the fact his insane idea actually worked. "Can't believe it actually worked," he murmured to himself breathlessly as Yang slid to kneel beside him, the others gathered around as she grabbed his collar and hoisted him upright. Ben also couldn't help but note that her eyes were a rather angry ruby red. Uh oh.

"Just what in the hell possessed you to do something that freaking stupid!" Yang demanded hotly, wisps of flame flickering forth from the tresses of her golden hair as Ben gulped lightly; his mouth running dry as the others snickered behind them, save for two who were in fact silently glaring into Yang's back. Yang seemed to not appreciate his continued silence as she narrowed her eyes and hauled Ben to look at her, the young man struck silent in an odd moment of realising just how beautiful his blonde friend actually was. The two stared at each other for a few minutes, ruby red slowly shifting back to a light lilac into cobalt blue, until Yang pulled the boy into a hug; Ben a little stupefied by the sudden action as he slowly wrapped his arms around the now visibly relieved blonde.

The two continued the embrace until Ben was able to sense the all-consuming darkness of the Grimm closing in from the forest, causing him to swiftly rise to his feet, puling Yang along with him. Ben gently released himself from Yang's grip as he turned towards the forest and narrowed his eyes, until he turned and began to jog towards the temple and the cliffs beyond.

"Let's get the hell out of here, Grimm are closing fast and I have had enough with this damn forest," he called out over his shoulder as he picked up the pace, smirking as the group of teens blinked once in unison before making a mad dash for the cliffs and coming hot on Ben's heels. While high above them upon the bluffs, Ozpin and Goodwitch watched in disbelief in the case of the latter at the display of Ben's abilities and natural leadership in regards to the group of teens form the surveillance footage.

* * *

Goodwitch had her eyes wide and mouth lightly agape while Ozpin possessed a light and wry smirk, glancing at his old friend while he took another sip of his cafe.

"So," the headmaster began with the barest trace of humor in his tone while tapping his cane lightly upon the stone beneath their feet, "has he lain any of your doubts to rest yet Ms. Goodwitch?" he asked as he looked at her fully, a light smirk on his lips at the awestruck look on the woman's face. However Goodwitch only hummed sharply and turned up her nose as she turned on her heel and walked away, not saying a single word as Ozpin shook his head and followed after her.

"I'll take that as a yes then," he said quietly to himself, glancing at his scroll and seeing how Ben remained as the last to exit the forest as he helped the others reach safety. Allowing the barest hints of a smile grow on his lips, Ozpin continued towards the school, his mind now focused on a dilemma brought forth by his newest students' present success.

* * *

The group of nine teens was now huddled together in the main auditorium, with the large viewscreen in the center of the room depicted each one of the teams that had formed as a result of the events in the forest and thankfully, much to everyone's relief; no causalities occurred during the initiation this year. Ben idly stood shoulder to shoulder with Yang and Weiss with Blake directly in front of him, watching with lightly narrowed eyes as Cardin and his little gang strode confidently to the main stage, their armor unscathed and pristine in the overhanging dim light of the room.

"Bunch of schutta if I've ever seen one," he growled under his breath as Ozpin at last explained the necessity for the relics they collected.

"Cardin Winchester, Russel Thrush, Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark, together you collected the black bishop pieces," Ozpin exclaimed as he gestured to the now spinning Icon of a black bishop chess piece on the screens below the four images of the four boys. "From this day onward you will work together as Team CRDL. Led by... Cardin Winchester."

A loud round of applause greeted Ben's ears as the other students from second year and up cheered on their new underclassmen. And Cardin it seemed in fact actually had some modicum of responsibility and tact as he remained stone faced through the ceremony, releasing for the barest of moments a smug smirk once the clapping subsided. And then it was his friends turn to step into the spotlight.

Jaune, Pyrrha, Ren, and Nora approached the stage in single file; faces confident and strong as the other students began to murmur quietly at the disheveled and battle worn forms of the four teens. Ozpin seemed unconcerned by it as the four lined up shoulder to shoulder as fours pictures, one of each team member appeared on the screens above a white colored rook piece. Ben straightened his back and watched in rapt attention as Ozpin began to speak.

"Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie, the four of you collected the white rook pieces and showed tremendous companionship and trust in both each other and your new classmates during your escape from the forest," the headmaster began, ignoring the round of whispers and looks the team received at his statement. Ben meanwhile only narrowed his eyes upon the headmaster, eyes flashing as this all but confirmed his suspicions.

'What game are you playing Ozpin?' he thought to himself as the others seemed unconcerned with the headmaster's words. Ozpin only continued unhindered as he looked upon the four new students.

"You from here on are to be Team JNPR. And you are going to be led by, Jaune Arc."

Ben couldn't help but begin to chuckle lightly at the dumbfounded expression on Jaune's face at Ozpin's declaration, while Pyrrha smile proudly at the blonde haired boy; while Nora hugged Ren and cheered loudly. Ozpin only smiled lightly at the dumbstruck blonde. "Congratulations young man, and well done. It is a position well deserved," he said confidently as Jaune looked at his team, releasing a light grunt as Pyrrha punched him lightly on the arm.

And then Ozpin turned to Ben and the girls. Yang lifted her chin proudly as she led the team onto the stage, followed closely by Blake, Weiss, and finally the now lightly fidgeting Ruby. Leaving Ben alone for but a few moments, until Jaune and the others moved to join the young Jedi once more. Ben offered them only a swift nod and a smile as he refocused on his friends on stage. Team JNPR did the same, standing close as the other students noted the rather close and comfortable atmosphere surrounding the nine students in comparison to other first year students from years past.

Ben watched as the screen shifted once again, as the image went in order of Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang while their piece, the white knight appeared beneath them as Ozpin began his speech anew.

"Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Together you retrieved the white knight pieces and just as Team JNPR did, despite a rocky beginning you showed a tremendous amount of skill in regards to working as a team, and being able to put aside your differences to achieve a greater goal and understanding between yourselves," here the elder man paused, as the audience waited with bated breath. Ben meanwhile, merely equated the man's performance to that of a showman he had met once on Nar Shadda during the war. "So it is my honor to name you as Team RWBY. Led by, Ruby Rose."

Ben felt a minute amount of shock at Ozpin's last words, yet his training allowed him to reign the emotion in as he watched Yang cheer and wrap her arms around the younger girl in a hug as he managed to make out what she said.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yang exclaimed as the students cheered loudly for the girls, each of them stepping back as Ben realized it was finally his turn. Ben set his face into a cool mask, drawing up his hood as his face was once more shrouded in shadow.

"It has been many years since such an event occurred at Beacon," Ozpin began as Ben at last stood on stage, hands crossed behind his back rigidly as the armor he wore and lightsaber on his belt gleamed sharply in the light of the room. The young man's face soon appeared on screen above the Black King piece, his scarred and rugged visage gaining some wolf whistles from a few of the older female students until they settled down to allow the Headmaster his speech.

"Yet it is not the first that a student here has been forced to work alone within these halls. Each of them beyond exceptional in the crafts and abilities that define a true Huntsman or Huntress."

Loud whispers shattered the silent din of the room as the elder students looked upon Ben with interest and curiosity, as Ben turned his attention to the screen.

"And now before you all stands one such example, who single highhandedly slew both a Deathstalker, and a Nevermore deep within the forest while aiding Teams JNPR and RWBY to safety," Ozpin uttered barely above a whisper, the shocked silence of the room near deafening to Ben's ears. "Now, Ben Skywalker... You who retrieved the Black King piece, so as tradition dictates; I now ask you, what is the moniker with which you will be known as at Beacon and outside our walls?"

Many of the students were struck silent at the question, while Ben stood silent as the last thing Jacen ever said to him came to his mind. And Ben admitted even if only in the privacy of his own mind... that it suited him perfectly in this situation.

Ben slowly reached up and drew down his hood, bangs of fire-red hair falling to shadow his eyes as he looked at the headmaster. And every single individual within that room felt the faintest of shivers crawl down their backs as he spoke.

"Call me Krayt... Darth Krayt."

* * *

**And done with chapter two ladies and gents. Now I can get to the good stuff beyond the fighting and trust me, while the story will follow RWBY cannon to an extent, we will see some more Star Wars elements later on. And here is a hint. Next chapter will compromise of the first lessons, Teams RWBY and JNPR trying to understand their secretive friend, and a look into Ben's past and hints in regards to his final confrontation between him and Caedus! As well as some bond building between Ben and Weiss. **

**Edit: May 31st 2015: The other two will get their times as well so don't worry. And also to those who have been sending reviews and PMs, I am deeply appreciative for the attention my fics have received, but sadly my muse is a fickle thing, and at the moment her attention is devoted to other projects. But the next chapters for all of my current fics are being worked on as we speak, the process is just going a lot slower than I would like. Thank you for your patience!**

**Till then... Read, Review, and if I did my job right, Enjoy!**


	3. Trial by Combat

**Also this just came to me, Ben, having no live action actor to go off of sounds and looks similar to Anakin Skywalker from Episode III, with a lighter tone of voice because of his father and mother. This is true in all of my Star wars fics.**

**And hey, say what you want about Hayden, I think it's kind of hard for a man to work wonders when he is given such underwhelming or awkward dialogue. Hell he did pretty good when it revolved around anger and hatred on Anakin's part. Also all the RWBY characters sound as they would in the show, with the situation being the same for any Star Wars characters brought into the story who had actors or voice actors. Just older and more grizzled in some instances.**

**And on a rather unrelated note, depending on how you might look at it; I received a review from a reader a while ago. Stating that by making this a harem story, it utterly killed the fic for them. And while I am sorry to hear that, after thinking it over I have decided… Fuck it! Harem it is. **

**And also shout out to correnhimself316 for something rather amusing we discovered from that arrangement. I will give you one hint. BWBY. You figure it out.**

* * *

**Doesn't mean that others aren't going to find themselves drawn towards the mysterious red haired hunter either until our heroines can sink their claws into him. Figuratively speaking of course.**

**Also a shout out to my pseudo beta reader, who for the moment has only just joined our ranks after I nagged the shit out of him for three years!**

**Now on with the show!**

* * *

_'Thoughts,'_

_"Speaking" in flashbacks and flashback segments if kept as solid text_

"Speaking,"

**Author input or notes.**

**This will remain the same throughout the duration of this fic and the possible sequels, so if you ever get confused return to this chapter for reference.**

* * *

Ben groaned in annoyance as the light of the morning sun streaked across his face, causing him to frown as he turned to his side and placed his arm over his head to block out the damnable light. Yet the chirping birds and the sudden influx of movement and sound in the room shattered his hopes of renewed sleep like so many shards of stained glass. So with a resigned sigh of defeat, Ben slowly pushed himself upright with a yawn. The young man then ran his left hand through his bed matted hair, blinking sporadically as his eyes began to adjust to the harsh light in the white walled room. His bare, muscular torso exposed to the world as the covers fell to pool at his waist as he stretched his arms with a loud groan.

"KYA!"

A sudden, frightened scream that Ben recognized idly as belonging to Weiss forced him to fully awaken in an instant. Instinctively the young man channeled the Force through his body and leapt to his feet, his lightsaber flying to his hand off of the small dresser by his bed as he flipped forward and landed in the centre of the room; the blade coming to life with the telltale hiss as he entered the opening for Shien and looked around for any potential threat.

Yet as he looked around, Ben found himself staring at the three young women who made up the RWB of Team RWBY, each of them blushing in some form or another while near gawking at him. Blake and Weiss both possessed a light pink tint to their cheeks, with Weiss' beginning to darken further as Ben watched her eyes trace his form with a hungered intensity. Ruby was as red as a Zeltron, from the roots of her hair to her fingertips the young girl looked like steam was about to erupt from her ears any second now. Ben noticed how her silver eyes raced along his form like a woman starved upon seeing a full meal, until in a moment of panic once they locked gazes, she blitzed to her bed and dove for the covers with a small "Eep". Blake simply remained stoic after regaining control of herself, yet her young deprived eyes started to wander ever so slightly as Ben relaxed.

"Uh… Morning?" the red haired man asked anxiously as he lowered his guard and held the blade loosely in his hand; scratching the back of his head nervously as the two elder girls of the trio remained dead silent at his display.

Yang who had been standing to the side and carrying a change of clothes under her arm only shook her head at the others reactions; smirking devilishly at her little sister's own display. The bodacious blonde began to purr flirtatiously at him as she moved into view, cocking a smooth skinned hip to the side and laying her hand upon it while looking the Jedi over from head to toe.

"My, my, my, I could _really_ get used to waking up to this everyday flyboy," she teased with a wink as she moved towards the slightly confused Jedi, the gentle hiss of the blade as he deactivated his lightsaber echoing through the large room as Weiss and Blake continued to stare almost hungrily at his chest and stomach. "But I think you've teased them enough as it is stud," she said with a mischievous smirk as she stood beside him and patted his chest lightly. Yet she felt her heart beat faster in her chest as her fingers landed upon the lightly tanned and scarred skin with a lover's gentle hand. The buxom blonde internally purred at the iron hard expanse of unyielding flesh she felt under her palm, the heat of him seeping into her body from the small amount of contact they shared.

'_Mama definitely likes,'_ the blonde bombshell thought victoriously as she moved to stand at Ben's side, trailing her fingers with a feather soft touch along his chest; smirking sinfully as Ben released a light shiver at her actions and followed her every move with a sudden sharp intensity in his darkening blue eyes. Looking up and away from the stormy irises of her favourite partner in mischief, lilac eyes glowed maliciously above a wicked grin as Yang watched her teammate's reactions to her boy toy's current state of dress. And just like last time, she wasn't disappointed.

Blake felt heat pool through her body as some of it drained from her cheeks, trying to dispel the still current image from her mind of her male roommate. The young woman was less than one-hundred percent successful however, only managing to supress herself as she tried to go about her business and get ready for class.

While Ben, after he managed to shake himself from the light haze Yang had placed over him, he noticed how Blake's bow was twitching periodically as she hastily gathered her things, still clad in her pajamas. Which was a simple black with grey trim yukata, with a white obi wrapped just tantalizingly above her womanly hips. Yet if Ben had been paying closer attention, he would have noticed how the silent raven haired woman continued to look at him out the corner of her eyes; the twin amber orbs narrowing with a cat like intensity as Ben felt a small pulse of potent lust through the Force.

He was prevented from trying to identify exactly where the sudden influx of primal instinctual need and sign of attraction came from as Yang was now in front of him, patting his cheek as she pressed her voluptuous body tightly against him.

"Come on big guy, I think I need someone to wash my back…" she purred huskily in his ear, eyes darkened to a bright amethyst as Ben felt the heat she exuded seep through his skin and course through his blood. The generally calm Jedi growled deep in his chest as Yang smirked seductively at him with a crook of her fingers as she pressed closer to him. Slowly the taller teen lowered his head closer to hers, the blondes light pink lips appearing as soft as satin to his eyes as Ben felt his body move on its own.

"WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" a suddenly very irate and flustered heiress screamed at the pair while standing with her hands on her hips, causing the two to jump apart as if hit by a jolt of energy. Yang once she recovered looked slightly annoyed at the interruption, yet the expression soon faded as she caught the dark red hue of Weiss' cheeks and an idea slowly formed in her head as the mischievous blonde also caught sight of the narrowed amber colored eyes of her partner.

'_Seems the stud is far more effective at lady killing than I thought,_' the flirtatious woman thought to herself as images raced through the young woman's mind, tapping her chin idly as she crossed one arm under her breasts and propped the other in her palm with her clothes still held by her free hand. Ben meanwhile, curious as to the sudden thoughtful look on the woman's face activated the link between them. His eyes understandably went wide in surprise, as he felt a sudden flash of heat bloom in his cheeks as his mind was assaulted by flashes of his friend's thoughts.

'_Could she even _bend _that way?' _he thought absently while his mind tried desperately to process the very…_imaginative_ ideas his flirty; and it seemed rather open minded friend had begun to think about. Yang meanwhile only grinned victoriously as she caught sight of the red haired male's expression, shaking her head as she lowered her arms and proceeded to strut towards the showers; a sense of pride welling within her as she could almost physically feel the scorch of Ben's gaze as the young man felt his eyes become drawn to the buxom blondes tight, heart-shaped rear.

Once Ben realised what he was doing however, he stopped immediately; his eyes lightening back to their normal crystal clear sky colored shade as he proceeded to place his head in his hand and sigh.

"Why do I get the feeling she's going to be the death of me?" he asked himself rhetorically as he closed his eyes, running his fingers over closed eyes as he waited for the door to the bathroom to shut. Once he heard the telltale click, he placed his hands on his hips and lifted his head; sighing in resignation while shaking his head before he moved towards his bag to retrieve his clothes. Weiss only looked at him skeptically, eyes darting traitorously to the boy's own toned derriere as she felt her cheeks flush once again.

'_STUPID HORMONES!'_ she thought angrily as she sniffed in disdain and strode towards her own things. All while still stubbornly being able to possess the grace and presence a person of her station was expected to carry.

* * *

When Ben returned almost ten minutes later, scroll in hand and his hair still slightly damp from his shower he was surprised when Weiss burst forth from the dorm room with a panicked look in her eyes. Her bag and school things tucked haphazardly in hand, she dashed madly past him without a second glance as she yelled angrily behind her.

"YOU DUNCE! WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

Ben blinked once as the rest of his friends peaked out from the room, swiftly accompanied by Team JNPR as they looked at each other in confusion. A few seconds of awkward silence passed between the eight teens before Ruby gained a panicked look on her face and dashed out into the hall, her hooded cape trailing behind her as she took off after Weiss.

"Uh… To class!" she ordered with a hand pointed to the sky, taking off at a full sprint leaving rose petals in her wake as she became a black spot in the distance. Blake and Yang immediately looked at each other, nodding once with a steeled, slightly mischievous look on their faces as they followed the dark red haired girl. All while Team JNPR and Ben looked on dumbly after them, blinking owlishly as they watched the all-female team run as if Grimm were on their tails. Ben however was able to focus himself relatively quickly as he looked at the silent Team JNPR and moved his head to the side.

"Move it out people, double time. Because I don't know about you, but I sure as all hell don't want to be late on my very first day," Ben said with a slight lift at the corner of his lips as he began to sprint after his roommates, smirking openly as he heard team JNPR close in behind him. The five teens soon caught up to their friends as they exited the dorms and entered the courtyard, running past both Professor Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch.

The two elder hunters watched on as the group sped past, Ozpin gaining a light smirk as he took a sip of his coffee while apparently remaining completely unconcerned. While Miss Goodwitch only scowled and looked down at her scroll and eyed the time, taping her foot as she watched the numbers flash to nine-o'clock. Not even a day and already she knew they were going to be trouble. Although a small part of her knew that perhaps that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

* * *

"Now the creatures of Grimm have gone by a number of epithets throughout our long and illustrious history," a rather portly man proclaimed as he paced back and forth in front of the class, with many of the students actually sleeping soundly as the man continued his lecture. The man himself was rather unique in appearance, with a head of groomed grey hair, eyes that remained almost comically closed and a large and well cared for mustache with broad shoulders and a rounded belly. "Demons, Hunters of the Night, Monsters among others. Yet I merely refer to them as one thing only… Prey."

The man seemed rather enthused by his proclamation, yet he faltered slightly as he noted the lack of attention provided by the class, save for the group seated in the very front of the room.

"Uh… And hopefully you all will one day to refer to those infernal beasts as such once you have graduated from this prestigious academy." Professor Port said with a gusto as Ben only sighed and laid his head back, a lock of red hair falling to cover the scar over his brow as he closed his eyes.

'_By the Force I'd rather be fighting a nest of raving gundarks than dealing with this poodoo,' _Ben thought miserably to himself as he raised his head and released a steady breath through his nose. A loud snort at his side caused him to look down, smirking as he watched Yang smile softly in her sleep as she burrowed into the warmth of her arms upon the table. The bodacious blonde continued to snore the rest of teh lecture away as the rest of the class seemed ready to follow her example.

Well… Everyone except Weiss and himself, with the young heiress remaining diligent and desperate to write down most of what the professor was saying. Even then she seemed partially upset with something, but as to what it was Ben couldn't say. Yet it was the professor's next words that caught his, and the rest of the class's undivided attention as many roused themselves from a rather blissful sleep.

"Now who among you feels they can truly embody the finesse, resilience and awesome might personified by the Huntsmen Corps?" Port asked slowly, looking about in the hopes of seeing a number of hands shoot up. Yet to his slight dismay, he only received two.

"Rather unfortunate that only two of you are so certain in your abilities, but why don't we put your two classmates to the test hm?" Port asked with a light grin, lightly tweaking the end of his mustache as Ben and Weiss looked at each other and Ben noted the fierce light in the heiress eyes. He narrowed his own as Weiss sniffed at him and looked away with her eyes closed and her arms crossed.

'_What's up with Weiss?'_ he thought with a light frown as Port moved towards them, snapping the boy from his thoughts.

"Mister Skywalker, Miss Schnee if you would be so kind as to return to the armory and collect your equipment so that we may begin?" The professor asked with a quirked brow as Ben swiftly rose to his feet and made for the door, Weiss right behind him as the two made for the first years locker area and armory.

* * *

Ben remained silent as he adjusted and checked within the control panel for his cybernetic arm, the thin yet durable alloy shining bright under the hanging light above him as he flexed his hand experimentally. Red brows furrowed in concentration as the muscle strands made of composite cortosis-durasteel alloy and beskar iron flowed under his grip. The soft creak of the leather glove and the gentle hum of the servos in his arm assuring him that nothing was out of place. Something he was extremely thankful for, as doing field repairs would have just ended up being a pain in the ass; especially now of all times. Satisfied and shutting the panel that covered the inner mechanisms with a soft click, Ben swiftly reached out and called his lightsaber to him, the weapon a reassuring weight in his hand as he soon clipped it to his belt.

Yet as he moved, Ben caught a sudden flash of chrome, stilling his feet as he slowly turned and looked down at his bag. Kneeling down Ben reached inside, his fingers brushing against polished steel as he felt a flare of surprise in his chest. Yet it was with a hard, steeled look in his eyes that allowed him to swiftly wrap his hand around the hilt of the weapon and draw it free.

Images flashed before his eyes as the ambient Force energy imbedded within the emerald corusca gem housed inside surged through his body, the young stiffening in shock and pain as a vision lanced through his mind.

"_CAEDUS!"_

_A dark chuckle greeted Ben's ears as he sprinted forward, crushing the blast doors with a thrust of his hands as he boarded the main control bridge of the Anakin Solo. The two blades of sapphire blue and emerald green crackled with power as lightning danced along their forms, ready to clash one final time against the man who had plunged the galaxy into chaos. Soon Ben's very presence began to affect the area around him, crushing the durasteel walls and floor as he bathed in the Force energy around him._

"_I've been expecting you… My young apprentice." A tall figure, cloaked in shadow murmured in satisfaction as his gaze remained fixed on the battle raging out in the vast reaches of space over Coruscant. Ben growled as the armor he wore flashed from the light of his sabers, sweat dripping from his brow to trail down his cheek as he tightened his grip and felt a dark, cold chill crawl down his back. And slowly, Ben came face to face with his mother's killer one last time… As the glowing yellow eyes glared at him with nothing but malice and hate._

A sudden frustrated grunt to his left caused Ben to snap free from his vision, looking up sharply as cold sweat trailed down his neck. The young Jedi then turned to watch Weiss trying to reload Myrtenaster's Dust chamber, as the bottles of unique Dust lay beside her in hasty disarray. Ben sighed and released a slow breath through his nose as he used the Force to sooth his mind and calm himself, wiping the sweat from his brow as he rose to his feet and clipped the new lightsaber to his belt.

Curiosity took hold however as the soothing presence of the Force flowed through him, causing him to move towards the agitated heiress. Smirking softly at the chance to find out what might be wrong with the young woman, Ben used a light pull with the Force as the bottle of light blue colored Dust flew towards him. The startled gasp caused him to grin, now openly grinning as Weiss released a soft startled squeal as she turned to look at him.

"Having some trouble there milady?" he teased, a bright roguish grin on his face as Weiss expression quickly shifted from startled to flustered in a nano sec.

Weiss huffed at the young Jedi, quickly placing Myrtenaster aside as she rose to her feet and tried to snatch the vial from Ben's grasp with a light blush on her cheeks.

"I am perfectly fine thank you," she exclaimed as she stood back and placed her hands on her hips as Ben only cocked a single brow. "But I am rather annoyed at _someone_ for taking some very expensive, and very rare Dust!" Ben only gave her a small smirk as he held out his hand, with the bottle held perfectly still in the palm as Weiss lunged for it. Only to squeak in surprise as Ben swiftly moved it aside and Weiss fell into his chest, blushing brightly as he wrapped his metallic arm around her waist and looked down at her.

"My, you are rather forward aren't you Miss Schnee?" He teased as he lowered his head, chuckling lightly at the now deepening blush on the woman's face as she stared up at him in shock and slight horror. Ben, seeing a golden opportunity decided that maybe taking a page out of Uncle Han's book wouldn't be such a bad idea. "Though I gotta say sweetheart, if you wanted to get my attention… All you had to do was ask." He said mischievously, the deep timbre of his voice sending a chill down Weiss' spine as her eyes shut tight and her breath came in a strangled gasp.

Yet to Weiss' slight disappointment the moment soon came to an end as Ben swiftly released her with a bright and teasing grin.

"Come on milady, I get the feeling Professor Port isn't going to be very pleased if we delay any longer," Ben admitted with a light chuckle before he turned and walked away, unaware of Weiss' eyes boring into his back, the normally bright frozen blue gauging and unsure.

* * *

Ben stood tall in the center of the makeshift arena Professor Port had constructed for this little demonstration, his hood drawn up and the two lightsabers hung proudly on his hips. The elderly professor stood rather calmly beside a massive cage, its confines shrouded in darkness as Ben tried to peer at the monstrosity hidden within. Port simply turned towards him and gave the boy a sly smile, as Ben flickered his gaze towards the older huntsmen.

"I wish you luck young Skywalker…" he said mysteriously as he moved to stand near the large locking mechanism attached to the side of the cage. Placing his hand upon it almost gingerly, Professor Port looked Ben straight in the eyes as he slowly pulled the lever down. "You're going to need it."

And with a resounding crash that seemed to echo throughout the room, the lock was undone and the creature set free from its cage.

Slowly it crept forward, its massive bulk a rather stark contrast too many of the more lean and physically proportioned Grimm Ben had encountered during his excursions into the forests of Vale. Yet the young man was unconcerned, a defiant smirk on his lips as he stared the creature down as sky blue gazed into blood red.

"Show time," Ben muttered to himself as he held his hands by his hips, the class releasing a unified gasp at seeing the two silver cylinders at his hips fly into his hands. And with a sharp snap-hiss did the two lightsabers come to life, the blades of emerald and sapphire dazzling those who had not seen them during his run in the forest while his friends watched on in amazement.

Yet as the beast at last fully revealed itself, the class gaped in shock and horror as they looked between their classmate and the monstrosity that stood before him. Thick muscular arms hung at its sides, its knuckles dragged along the floor as cracked and broken spikes peaked out from beneath the thick matted fur at its shoulders and neck. A crooked jaw filled to the brim with razor sharp teeth the size of a man's hand gleamed in the light of the classroom, as twin canines the size of swords peaked out from the lower lip. A pointed skull lowered to allow twin, blood red eyes to gaze down at their comrade; a menacing screech echoing from its throat as it reared back on its muscular legs and bashed its chest with its fists.

Yang shot to her feet as she looked from her crush to his opponent in horror. "An Alpha Silverback! Are you crazy Professor!" she cried out in rage as she looked from the hulking beast to the aggravatingly calm looking professor, who now sat at the back of the classroom.

"Miss Xiao Long I have every faith in your friend's abilities in order to defeat that creature," Port exclaimed confidently, leaning back as he sipped at a mug held in his left hand. "Now please be quiet my dear, it's about to get interesting…" He murmured with a dismissive wave of his hand; Yang growling in frustration before turning to watch the match in nervous anticipation.

Ben only cocked a single brow as he stared at the creature, the beast's distinctly simian design and features making it easy to distinguish from other beasts of the Grimm he had fought on this planet. Twirling the two lightsabers in hand Ben sprinted forward, the familiar feeling of the Force surging through his body more than welcome as he drew closer to the lumbering beast. A sharp spike in aggression rippled through the Force, causing Ben to react instantly.

Diving off to the side Ben slid along the floor as the Silverback's arm lashed out and its massive hand, which was larger than his own torso tried to flatten him upon the stone floor with a powerful swing. Yet Ben avoided the attack unscathed, using the momentum of the dive to carry him up out of the slide into a low crouch, planting his feet shoulder width apart and lifting his arms up high as time slowed to a crawl.

With a sharp grunt Ben drove the green bladed lightsaber down and through the monster's hand; the condensed blade of pure plasma disintegrating flesh and bone as the Silverback roared out in pain and lifted its hand way from him to escape the pain. This in turn caused the lightsaber to sever a portion of the beast's hand clean off as Ben jumped back, blades held in a low guard in case the lumbering; and indeed very angry Grimm launched a counter attack.

"Excellent work lad!" Professor Port praised as the rest of the class watched in slowly mounting excitement, curious as to what the newest and supposedly most talented first-year huntsmen was capable of.

Ben only allowed himself a miniscule smirk as he kept his eyes focused on the Silverback. _'You haven't seen anything yet,'_ he thought to himself dryly as he leapt forward and slashed at the monster's knees; the acrid smell of singed flesh and burnt fur filling his nose as the blue blade severed the tendons at the ankle and patella with a single swing. The beast cried out in pain as its left knee buckled beneath it, falling to the side with a thunderous crash that shook the earth beneath Ben's feet. Squaring his body Ben dashed forward at a speed that left him near a blur to the others students, the downed Grimm shaking its head in a dazed stupor as it tried to right itself. It would never get the chance.

Ben slid to a stop before the Silverback's head, lightsabers held out at his sides as hunter and prey stared into the others' eyes for what both knew to be the last time. Ben was resigned as he stared into the ruby colored orbs, as even the Force itself could sense nothing but hate and hunger no matter how deep he searched within the mighty beast. The beast seemed almost calm and willing to accept its defeat; with the pride befitting its kind as strong as ever in the hateful red eyes. The Grimm met Ben's own head on, lifting its chin ever so slightly while baring its glistening fangs in defiance. Ben said not a word nor made no acknowledgement of the beast, leaping high into the air as he drew his two sabers before him. And in one clean strike the young huntsman severed tendon, muscle, and bone as his lightsabers decapitated the once mighty beast with a sizzling hiss and a piercing screech as they ground against each other creating a brilliant light.

All became silent within the room as Ben fell back to the earth with nary a sound, his lightsabers held at his sides until the two blades vanished with a sharp hiss and placed them calmly upon his belt. A grim, cold look chilled the normally bright blue orbs to a dull shade as the Grimm vanished into black mist at his feet. Turning his head ever so slightly in acknowledgement, Ben gave Professor Port a barely noticeable nod before he moved to take his place beside Yang once again as his eyes returned to their normal sky blue shade.

"Well done young Skywalker well done indeed!" the professor praised as he clapped his hands jovially before turning his attention to the now dumbstruck Schnee heiress. "Miss Schnee if you would follow me please, I believe it is you turn to show your fellows what a true Huntress looks like."

Weiss gulped in apprehension as she stiffly trailed after the jolly old man.

* * *

Ben grinned slyly as the remnants of Team RWBY huddled around him, each carrying varied expressions of interest and awe as the rest of his classmates tried to push past the three women and offer him their congratulations and praise.

'_Just like being on Coruscant all over again,'_ he thought with a chuckle, as images of the crowds cheering his name and those of his troopers after their victory against the Sith Empire. Shaking his head and clearing his mind of the slowly darkening thoughts, the young man waited patiently for his white haired companion to arrive; eagerly anticipating her performance in defeating whatever Grimm the barvy professor could throw at her. _'I just hope Weiss isn't going to be distracted by whatever the hell's been bothering her all day during the fight,'_ he thought in concern as Weiss finally re-entered the room, glancing around nervously as Professor Port stood beside a much smaller cage then the one he had opened for Ben mere minutes before.

"Well Miss Schnee, are you ready to begin?" Professor Port asked calmly, a single bushy brow quirked up as Weiss steeled her gaze and straightened her back, defiant and strong.

"Of course Professor," she said haughtily with a small sneer upon her face, her eyes cold and as sharp as forged steel. The older huntsmen nodded his head in reply and deftly clicked the release on the cage's locking mechanism, a soft tugging at the corners of his mouth beneath the bushy mustache. A soft whir erupted from the cage as the massive gate rose up, two pairs of menacing crimson eyes glowing within the darkness. A loud snort echoed from within the cage, the sound accompanied by the sharp crack of hooves against stone as the Grimm slowly revealed itself.

"A Boarbatusk!" many of the spectators cried out in shock, while Team RWBY and Ben only narrowed their eyes in concentration and in some cases eager anticipation. Yet soon after Ruby, Blake, and Yang began to cheer for their teammate, excitedly watching on as their white haired companion prepared to fight the terrible beast.

"Go get it Weiss!" Ruby chanted with a bright grin as she jumped up and raised her arms, her red and black cape billowing out dramatically behind her as her silver eyes glowed with childish enthusiasm. Blake only waved a small flag bearing their team name in a dramatic font, a light grin on her face as her black bow appeared to twitch excitedly upon her head. Yang however, much to Ben's chagrin and amusement was a whole other story.

"Come on Snow Princess! Show that thing who's boss and send it back to whatever dark, dank pit of hell it came out of!" she cheered wildly, actually standing on top of her chair until Ben reached up and dragged her down by the waist of her skirt, causing her to land on his lap as she gave an indignant "Hey!" at his manhandling.

The two didn't seemed all that bothered with the position they had ended up in, yet that was mostly due to Ben's self-control and Yang's lack of tact when it came to these types of situations. Though neither of them would ever admit that they didn't really mind the situation in the first place considering who it was with. Yet Weiss however, was not all that well versed in keeping her opinions to herself if pushed hard enough and after seeing her supposed leader during the entirety of class finally snapped.

"I am trying to focus here, and your noise isn't helping any!" she said hotly as she glared at her partner and teammates, the Grimm utterly forgotten as the four teen girls had their little moment. Only Ben kept his eyes on the creature, ready to jump in to intercept it should Weiss be caught off guard and her life be put in jeopardy. Yet the situation and his place in it was not entirely lost on his either

'_By the Force, why is it always _me_ that ends up in these situations?' _he thought dryly as he leaned back and propped his boots on the desk, lacing his hands behind his head as the four girls continued to stare at each other in a silent argument while he lamented his role as assigned babysitter.

A ferocious snort caused the four bickering teens to stop and stare at the Grimm, its eyes glowing with hatred and fury at being ignored by its prey. It began to angrily paw at the floor with its sharpened hooves as it swung its massive head back and forth, the body language showing just how amped to fight the young Grimm really was. The bone colored mask that covered its head from nose to neck was marked by numerous scars and the intricate symbols the color of freshly spilt blood common on most Grimm species. The twin, foot long canine teeth shone with fresh blood as it dripped to stain the floor, the massive tusks curled back and marked from battle as it reared back and roared at Weiss.

The haunting echo sent chills down many of the newer first-years spines, all watching in anticipation as Weiss twirled and entered her stance; one which had been drilled into her mind since she could walk and desired to learn how to fight. With Myrtenaster held menacingly by her head and held in her left hand, her dominant arm crossed over her chest and her feet shoulder width apart as her eyes narrowed in concentration.

While many in the audience found themselves deeply impressed by the refined look of the stance, Ben found himself puzzled by it. The form was far too open for any real defensive capability, and that alone left susceptive to any half assed; let alone competent counter attack. It also forced the user to react on a back swing, not being able to generate as much strength in her attacks if she was faced by an opponent who dashed right at her. The stance just didn't make sense. And it was with a sinking feeling that Ben finally took the chance to examine what people considered a practical fighting style on this planet as the battle finally got underway.

The Boarbatusk charged at the white clad woman angrily, Weiss' ice blue eyes narrowing in contempt and sure confidence as she spun to the side in a graceful pirouette; the tip of her most treasured possession slashing at the beast's side. Yet Weis only frowned as it bounced off with a tangible clang, righting herself as she flowed into another of the stances her teachers had taught her. The blade was held down at her feet, the tip resting upon the ground as she tilted her hips and placed her free hand at the point where her lithe stomach came to a graceful curve at her hip, a sneer on her face as she analysed the well armored Grimm.

"I'm rather disappointed," she taunted aloud with a bored look on her face. The comment managed to draw a few snickers and giggles from her fellow Hunters-in-training, yet they soon quieted down as Weiss spun her arms in an intricate pattern; ending with Myrtenaster once more drawn at her side, ready to pierce and skewer flesh as she lowered herself and prepared to charge.

'_Sides and head won't work,'_ she thought analytically as the twin orbs of frozen blue narrowed and traced over the massive amount of armor dominating the Grimm's body. _'Neither will the neck or head, the spaces between the armor are too small for Myrtenaster to pierce through unless I want my arm wrenched from the socket.'_

Weiss grimaced softly as she clicked the trigger mechanism on Myrtanaster's hilt, the blade now covered in elegant dark-blue colored script as the firing mechanism inside activated the capsule of concentrated Dust held within the rotating chamber. A gentle haze settled around her as ice formed around her feet, shifting her feet to be shoulder width apart as the Boarbatusk crouched low and prepared to charge her again.

"Go for the belly Weiss! It's the only place that doesn't have armor protecting it!" Ruby cried out off to the side, a grin on her face as she looked at her partner, yet Ruby was admittedly shocked when Weiss turned to her and started to yell at her.

"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" Weiss snarled at the younger girl, uncaring of the hurt look on Ruby's face as the Boarbatusk took the opportunity presented and leapt up into the air. This confused some of the students as they watched, yet it seemed there was method to the madness as the Grimm curled in on itself; turning itself almost into a large armored ball as it begin to spin faster and faster once it fell back to the earth.

Weiss was able to notice this after she had turned away from her partner and narrowed her eyes in disdain at the Grimm, twirling her blade to rest horizontally before her, the glyphs along the blade glowing with greater intensity as she charged it up with her Aura. The Boarbatusk seemed unconcerned, still holding itself firmly in place as its speed reached its peak. Until mere moments later with a loud screech the beast rolled at Weiss with the force of a truck, closing the distance between it and its prey in seconds.

Weiss was ready however, straightening her back as she spun in place and swung Myrtenaster in a graceful arc and summoned a glyph before her. The Grimm realized the trap too late as it slammed head first into the glyph, stopping dead in its tracks and dazed from the force of the impact. Weiss snarled as she slammed her blade down at her feet, a pillar of thick ice rising from the floor to slam into the Grimm's stomach with the force of a bomb. The attack further stunned and injured the creature, a pitiful roar of defiance and pain escaping it as the beast was launched into the air.

Weiss wasted no time as she spun Myrtenaster once more and leapt up into the air, a glyph appearing beneath her feet that shifted from its pearlescent ice-blue to black as she angled herself down and launched herself at the Grimm like an arrow from a bow. Myrtenaster tasted flesh at last, burying itself through the esophagus of the beast as the tip of the sword erupted for the other side of the Grimm's neck and skewered the beast, pinning it to the floor as it finally died.

Weiss breathed deeply in relief as the adrenaline faded away, steadying herself as she rose to her feet and swung Myrtenaster to clean it of the foul creature's blood. The blade whistled through the air as she sheathed it at her hip, the glyphs of ice blue fading away as her Aura returned to her. Sighing heavily Weiss composed herself and brushed her off sided ponytail behind her, standing straight as she diligently ignored the hurt look on Ruby's face and the simmering anger in Yang's.

Professor Port seemed not to notice this as he laced his hands behind his back and nodded in respect towards Weiss.

"Well done Miss Schnee, well done indeed," he praised as she looked down at the now beaming young woman. "Unfortunately young ones it seems our time together has come to an end for today. Make sure you read all of the assigned texts for tomorrow as we will be reviewing them extensively in preparation for our next lesson," he instructed with a wave of his hand. The class rose to their feet, as Team RWBY tried to chase after their white haired member.

"Don't bother," Ben chimed dryly as he rose to his feet, cracking his shoulders as he collected his bag with his books and made for the exit to get to their next class. "If Weiss wants to talk she'll talk."

"And how do you know that?" Blake asked skeptically, golden eyes suspicious and intrigued all at once. Almost like a cat if Ben were to be honest after hearing about the intriguing creatures from Yang after he decided to stay in Vale.

Ben only gave Blake a wry grin and shouldered his bag before he turned and walked away as he spoke over his shoulder. "You live through some of the things I have Miss Belladonna and you tend to find reading people a rather easy thing to accomplish."

* * *

The four were actually just arriving for combat class when Weiss finally returned, a cold mask set firmly in place as she sat down a few seats over from the rest of her team. Ben remained stoic as he watched the young woman stare out into space, finally looking over at Professor Goodwitch as she examined each and every one of them with her cool emerald eyes as the last few students trickled in from the changing rooms.

_'I might have to step in earlier than I thought,' _Ben mused to himself as he stilled his thoughts and listened to the whispers of the Force, feelings of conflict and rage cloaking the young white haired woman like a parasitic shroud.

Goodwitch seemed to pay the young Jedi no mind as she faced the students calmly, a hard and stony look marring her delicate features.

"Today students we begin combat training," she began curtly, a cool, indifferent expression on her face as she faced the entire class of nervous students. "For while the primary role of a hunter is to slay Grimm and protect each of their respective kingdoms citizens; fate calls upon us to act as enforcers of the law against those of our order who have strayed from the path should it be necessary," she explained with a solemn gaze as many of the students seemed slightly taken aback at learning what was to be expected of them. The professor however only released a soft sigh as she looked down at her scroll and the matchups for today.

"Now that that's out of the way, let us begin!"

* * *

Ben sighed for what seemed to be the thirtieth time as he watched yet another of his classmates collapse in exhaustion, the boy's body covered in cuts and bruises from his duel. Sky blue eyes flicked upwards to the twin aura gauges displayed above the arena, both bars only just below half full and colored a dark orange; the two men within the arena nodding weakly at each other in acknowledgement. Goodwitch stepped forward soon after, giving the still standing man the victory while listing off the flaws the defeated huntsmen had performed. It was honestly painful to watch for Ben, the young man actually cringing occasionally as Goodwitch seemed to ignore the more major flaws the victor had made once she started critiquing him as well. But then again, in Ben's rather jaded eyes... They _all_ made mistakes.

It puzzled him all the more at how each and every one of his fellow huntsmen used some of the most utterly unrealistic acrobatic fighting styles that he had ever seen. And this was coming from a man who had mastered Ataru and was labeled an expert in Juuyo. Not exactly a comment any of them should have been proud to carry. Movement was wasted time and again on stupid little moves that tried to make the huntsmen look cool or heroic, which became time freely given away to their opponent as they prolonged the fight to make it _entertaining._

Ben had in fact assumed Weiss was an exception to the norm when it came to theatrics during a fight. What he hadn't expected was for her to be one of the _least _flashy of all his classmates. And he had to admit that it was almost entirely Teams' RWBY and JNPR that fit into that category. He'd sooner have a bull rancor in heat as a pet than have someone like Cardin watch his back on a mission.

'_How in the Pit they actually survive duelling each other I'll never know…'_ he lamented to himself as he finished adjusting the power level of his lightsaber and prepared himself for his own duel. _'Then again… Maybe _I'm _the one with the problem here,'_ Ben mused morosely, a thoughtful scowl dominating his features as he triple checked the power supply for his trusted weapon.

These children hadn't grown up in a world where war was present at every turn. Where their families were fleeing for their lives into the darkness of space to try and escape the coming fire and life of slavery that awaited them under the rule of two separate tyrants in the span of eighteen years.

No... Their families lay safe and secure behind the great walls that surrounded their kingdoms on this backwater world. Where the Grimm were nothing more than a myth to some, and pests to the experienced hunters. Him… He was as different from them as he was to his old friend Lowie. He had been born into conflict and for the entirety of his life it was all he had known. Some would ask for pity in that regard, to know that others were sad for them for having lived a life without peace. But Ben was alright with that and despised those that sought to pity him for what his life had been forced to become.

War had made him strong. Stronger than he could have possibly imagined when he had been under Jacen's or his father's tutelage. It made him strong enough to turn the tide of the war in the Alliance's favor in their darkest hour and lead them back from the brink. The shadow he cast behind him became the shade from which the Alliance could take shelter and regroup their forces to continue the fight, as he and his legions of Stormtroopers held the line with a zeal and tenacity not seen in any Jedi nor general since his grandfather Anakin Skywalker in the Clone Wars.

And as the Second Civil War dragged on the legend of both himself and his men grew with every victory, with every soul saved and another planet liberated. His men had earned their praise and the numerous accolades pilled upon them like trinkets. But even then his men believed the same of himself, as the Alliance made him into a symbol of hope... A guiding light to the future that awaited them at the end of the terrible dark. He and his 501st had become the Alliance's shield and its sword which had granted them liberty and freedom.

For it was his blade that dealt the final blow to end Caedus' reign of terror over the galaxy, deep within the bowels of the mad Sith Lord's flagship the _Anakin Solo_. While Vader's Fist, his Rogues, his 501st had taken back and commanded the skies over the galactic capital; and earned the Alliance its greatest victory in their short history.

Yet a small part of Ben still blamed himself for the way things had turned out. For it had been those same hands that had helped start his cousin's mad reign in the first place. His hands would forever be stained with the blood of the millions who had died in a war he could have prevented if his emotions and own insecurities hadn't clouded his judgement.

"Ben Skywalker and Weiss Schnee!"

Silence followed Miss Goodwitch's announcement, as Ben was snapped from his dark thoughts and looked up in surprise at his professor. He wasn't the only one either, as many of the other students stopped their own warm ups to stare in muted shock.

Weiss looked indifferent, yet Ben felt her unease and fear overcome the anger to ripple through the Force; his instinct to overwhelm it harshly repressed as he entered a cool serenity he reserved solely for his sparring matches held in the Temple on Coruscant. And it was with a calm mind that Ben decided he was going to do something to aid his friends in their fight for survival on this strange yet wondrous planet. After all, it was his duty not only as a Jedi Knight to protect and help those who could not help themselves. But as a Huntsman, he was sworn until death to defend the kingdoms and in essence this new planet he hoped to one day call his own.

Remnant needed all the help it could get. And Ben was more than happy to provide it.

* * *

Ben remained silent as he faced Weiss, the young woman holding the hilt of Myrtenaster nervously in her left hand as she looked up at him. She was nervous and indeed frightened at the prospect of fighting him, of that Weiss' body language made perfectly clear. Ben however did not let that break his resolve on his decision, as he felt nothing but a sense of surety and confidence well within him; something that could only be learned, not given.

His stance was loose and relaxed as he waited patiently for Goodwitch to start the fight, his breathing even and controlled as he felt the Force surge around him. It seemed almost as eager for him to begin the duel as he was it seemed. His lightsaber was held firmly in his right hand, the leather glove reflecting the light from the large, globe-shaped light overhead as he placed his thumb straight along the back of the hilt. His feet were set shoulder width apart, his back straight as a durasteel beam with his left hand held tight to his side and slightly behind his back.

"I've never seen a stance like that before..." Blake muttered from the stands as she gazed upon the taller of the two hunters, bow twitching periodically as she watched her two roommates getting ready to fight.

"Neither have I, but then again with such an awesome weapon like that I could only imagine the neat things he must be able to do!" Ruby beamed out excitedly as she gave her own two cents on the topic, sitting forward eagerly as she tried to digest what exactly had gone wrong between her and her partner. Although a small, indeed very wise part of her mind and heart realised just exactly what the Schnee Heiress' problem actually was.

"Then you two are in for a big surprise," Yang chimed with a grin, leaning back as she crossed her arms under her breasts and looked almost hungrily at Ben from where she sat. "I've seen him use that stance once before when we were sparring and he picked me apart with it. Even with my semblance I barely stood a chance against him."

As silence greeted her, Yang furrowed her brows before turning to face her partner and baby sister; now visibly confused at the wide eyed stare she received from Ruby.

"Uhh..." she droned uncomfortably as she moved to sit closer to the near catatonic scythe wielder. "Rubes?" the blonde brawler asked worriedly, only to squeak in surprise a mere second later as Ruby grabbed the lapels of Yang's coat and hauled her down to eye level.

"HE BEAT YOU?!" she demanded shrilly, the exclamation gaining numerous looks from their fellow first years as Yang tried to free herself from her sister's grip without hurting her. It didn't help that her little sister had begun to shake her ferociously as Ruby began to freak out at the knowledge that her big sister had lost a fight.

"RUBY STOP!" Yang called out as she began to grow dizzy from her sister shaking her like a rag doll, with comedic swirls in her eyes. Ben only gave her a lightly perplexed look as he heard the commotion from the arena, sighing in exasperation as he shook his head and rubbed at his temples. Miss Goodwitch seemed rather displeased by the commotion, shaking her head disapprovingly until she turned her attention towards the two teenagers.

"Are you two ready?" she asked simply, first turning to face Ben who gave her a firm nod as he reset his feet. Goodwitch then turned her attention towards Weiss, the young woman fidgeting with Myrtenaster. Taking a steadying breath, Weiss gave the elder Huntress a half-hearted nod until she steeled her eyes and twirled into her opening stance. A fierce, defiant light burning within the Schnee woman's eyes as she met Ben's own hard blue orbs across the arena. Gaining a light smirk as she looked between the two teens, Miss Goodwitch stepped back towards the edge of the battlefield and tapped at her scroll; watching as the two aura gauges next to the photos of the two teens filled up to full capacity and a glowed vibrant emerald green.

"Begin!" she called out firmly, her expression blank as the two teens focused on each other and nothing else.

Ben slowly lowered his hand, a silent pull with the Force bringing the saber to life as the azure colored blade appeared with a sharp hiss and hummed at his side. Ben gave the smallest of smirks as he raised the blade up towards his face, as he then swiftly lowered the blade to his side with a small concentric flourish.

He remained silent as he continued to stare at his opponent, taking long, graceful strides towards the increasingly anxious Schnee Heiress. Weiss felt sweat bead upon her brow and forehead as she felt a cold feeling settle into her gut, her knuckles going stark white as she tightened her grip on Myrtenaster. Ben gave Weiss no time to recompose herself however as he pressed his advantage, using his superior speed, height, and strength to launch a thrust aimed at her exposed side. Weiss tried to react, Myrtenaster moving in a delicate arc to try and intercept the azure colored blade; but she was left far to open as the lightsaber smashed into her side. Weiss grunted in pain as a painful jolt lanced through her body, the area struck by the saber growing lightly numb as she dashed back and tried to reset herself to launch her own offensive.

Ben didn't give her the chance however as he continued his attack, every movement of his blade calculated and precise as his large build made up for his Form II's apparent lack of physical power. Even then Weiss struggled to keep up with the red haired hunter's speed and strength, as her style was more focused on broad arcs of the razor edged blade held in her hands; coupled with fine, lethal thrusts that did little to counter the constantly moving blade of her enemy.

Back and forth they dueled across the polished floor of the arena, Weiss growing increasingly desperate as her rather physically demanding style took its toll on her body. Her muscles ached and her body grew weary as her stamina trickled away, her mounting frustration doing little to help her as her pride couldn't believe that a mere commoner could outclass her in fencing. Her one true talent, and she was being beaten so soundly it made her feel as if she were an amateur all over again.

_'Come on dammit, move faster!' _she cursed within her mind as she gnashed her teeth and glared at Ben, her cool mask finally chipped away to reveal the very frustrated woman underneath. Sweat had begun to softly bead on her brow, the duel reaching its five minute mark as her liberal use of glyphs failed to stop the red haired man's relentless assault.

Whispers began to echo through the crowd, many of them stupefied at seeing the infallible Schnee heiress struggling to keep up with her opponent as the harsh crack of the saber connecting with Myrtenaster echoed out every few seconds. Yet Ben tuned it all out, only focused on the duel as he reached out and let the Force flow through him without restraint. And it was here that he believed he had found the crux of Weiss issues in regards to what had happened earlier to day in Grimm studies.

_'No... I can't lose to another commoner, I just can't!' _he heard the chilled and wrathful voice of Weiss echo within his mind through the Force, focused on keeping her back as his curiosity drove him to delve deeper. _'I am the heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation. I am leagues above everyone here in skill and experience and still my talent and obvious credentials are overlooked for a complete idiot who thinks that this is a fairy tale and a man who appears out of nowhere!_

Weiss watched in dismay as her aura gauge dipped from green into yellow, the numerous bruises and marks on her body being steadily healed by her aura as Ben continued their duel of attrition. Ben's own gauge remained frustratingly so in the green, his aura level barely depleted at all as he thrust at the now numerous holes in Weiss' guard and noted the distressed look on the young woman's face.

_'Time to end this charade,'_ he thought to himself as he abruptly shifted into Djem So mid-swing, his lightsaber becoming nothing but a blur as he put all of his strength into each strike. The harsh crack of his blade against Weiss' echoed like a blaster shot in his ears, as each blow of his saber whittled away at the young woman's weakened guard. Ben felt his limbs grow hot with each swing, his blood near singing with exhilaration as he delved deeper into the flow of the Force. Every detail of the room and his opponent became permanently etched into his mind as he watched Weiss falter under his brutal assault. Faster and faster he moved, until even Goodwitch had a hard time keeping up with his strikes; the class at last beginning to realise the scope of the young man's skill.

And they could only watch on as Weiss struggled to keep up, her arms numb and her body lagged by fatigue and aura loss as Myrtenaster's hilt began to grow hot in her hands. Sparks the color of silver and red danced along the blade of her sword with each clash against that of her opponent, the glyphs o colored Dust beginning to fade from the severity of Ben's attacks. And then in an instant it came to a close.

With a calculated flourish that left his blade held vertically behind his back, Ben shoved Myrtenaster aside; stepping forward with a shoulder charge as he brought the hilt of his lightsaber down to smash against Weiss' hand. A pained cry left her lips as Weiss released her sword and watched it fall to crash against the floor with a near booming clang, as Ben continued his spin and came to a halt mid-strike. With his lightsaber held out before him, only an inch away from Weiss' smooth skinned throat.

The young woman's porcelain colored skin now glowed a deep blue as the hum of the blade pounded in her ears, gulping gently as she looked up at Ben's now cold blue eyes searchingly; an unreadable expression on his face. And like the toll of a bell Goodwitch's voice echoed from behind the two combatants as the class watched on in dead silence.

"Winner, Ben Skywalker."

* * *

**Alright chapter 3 done! Finally!**

**I also feel that you my dear readers deserve an explanation as to why my updates are so sporadic. Truth be told it's because my muse has no capability to focus on any one thing, and is thus spread out over multiple projects at a time. I am working to quell this and thus far have been far more successful. The chapter below a result of this diligent work. Not to mention that my first year of university has started up, so getting into the swing of things on that front has taken a lot of time and focus on my part.**

**But the update schedule for now will be this chapter, Black Rider chapter 2, Black Wolf chapter 4 after that and hopefully my rewritten version of Return of the Dark Knight chapter 5 will be done. And I will try to keep updates to being every month or month and a half. Also I have a few new projects that will be posted up in between to tide you guys over if the chapters for my main fics are taking too long to post. I have a lot to post and I hope you enjoy it all. Plenty of Star War's fics to be honest, so if reading about my version of Ben Skywalker ain't to your liking then god speed on your search among the archives my friends!**

**Anyway I've said my piece and now I will distract you no further. Until next time.**


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